Who We Are
by Asche Angel 46
Summary: AU: Wally and Artemis grew up in the slums of Gotham City. They saw the worst humanity had to offer everyday and never felt particularly endeared to the Justice League because of it.  So what happens when they get their own powers?
1. Chapter 1

**AN**: So, I've got ideas for this and I know what directions I want to take it, but I'm still bouncing back and forth on whether or not to even write it in the first place. Let me know what you guys think. If you like it, I'll keep it up. If not, well, I'll delete this from FF and you won't have to worry about it. Like I said, I've got ideas, I just don't know if this is really any good. So, to that end, your input would be greatly appreciated

**Disclaimer**: As always, I don't own Young Justice or anything affiliated with it.

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><p>They had first met in second grade and had been inseparable ever since. It had been at recess the first day of second grade and Artemis had dashed right to the sandbox, staking a claim immediately. Growing up in the slums of Gotham left little play equipment, usually none whatsoever, and she didn't want to be stuck standing around with nothing to do for a whole thirty minutes. She had been there for maybe ten minutes when three fifth grade boys came up to her and demanded that she leave. She stood up to face them, knowing full well none of the teachers would come help her, not at all ready to back down; her father had practically drilled it into her that she was not to back down, <em>ever<em>. So, despite the fact that the three boys were much larger than her, she held her ground and glared them down as she flat out refused to move. As was true of most everyone growing up in their part of the city, violence was generally the way to achieve what you wanted and the three boys had no qualms against using their fists to make her move if she wouldn't do so on her own. Artemis dropped into a ready stance, as her father had taught her, and prepared for a fight she knew she probably wouldn't win, but she wasn't going down without a fight. Before the first punch could even be thrown, a redheaded boy about her age walked up to the four of them and stood next to her.

"This doesn't seem very fair," he said.

"Buzz off!" the ringleader of the fifth graders replied. "Our fight is with her."

The redhead shrugged. "Then I'm joining this fight," he said simply.

Artemis glared at the boy. She could fight her own fights, thank you very much, and she did not want or need anyone to come protect her. The boy had turned to her then, a grin on his face.

"Do you mind if I help?" he asked. "You look like you know what you're doing in a fight, but I thought it wasn't very fair of three fifth graders to pick on a second grader."

Artemis just stared at him for a moment, confused. Se he wasn't trying to _protect_ her, he just wanted to _help_ her fight. He wasn't expecting her to go hide somewhere while he took on the other three boys. She just nodded mutely and watched as his grin turned somewhat feral as he dropped low and turned back to the fifth graders. She felt a matching grin spread across her own lips as she prepared herself once more for the fight.

They hadn't won the fight of course; neither of them had really been expecting to, it was really more or less the principle of the thing anyway. They sat side-by-side outside the nurse's office, waiting their turn to be treated. The boy had a split lip that was bleeding fairly badly and a dark bruise was already forming on his cheek. Artemis was no better off. She could still taste blood in her mouth from her cut cheek and she felt sure she had a bruise spreading along her ribs.

"My name's Wally," the boy said suddenly. "Wally West. We're in the same class. Wanna be friends?" He was grinning at her again.

"Artemis," she replied, a grin on her own face. "Artemis Crock. Sure, let's be friends."

Since that day the two of them hardly ever spent a moment without the other, quickly becoming the best of friends. They had found out early on (within a day or two of meeting) that they lived in the same apartment complex, just in different buildings, and decided to spend all their available free time together. As they got older they learned that, though they were both quite intelligent in multiple subjects, Wally was the science genius and there was absolutely nothing technological in nature that Artemis couldn't figure out.

As the years wore on, the closer they became. By the time they were thirteen, absolutely no secrets existed between them and they had become almost dependent on the other person as a lifeline in the messed up, dark world they lived in. They kept each other out of (and occasionally safe from) the many gangs that littered the slums around them and they always, _always_ had each other's backs.

By the time they had turned eleven, Artemis had finally told Wally that her father beat her mother and herself. Being the type of person he was, he was ready to go after her father, consequences be damned. Artemis had managed to talk him out of it and the two of them had worked out a way to communicate with each other when Artemis' father had actually come back home from wherever he disappeared to most of the time and beat her. On those nights, Wally would crawl through her bedroom window and help patch her up and hold her close while she cried; he was the only person ever allowed to see her cry.

Artemis learned that Wally's mother had been disowned from her family when she had decided to marry his father; though his father had left when he was six and never came back. He claimed, on numerous occasions in front of peers, that he didn't care, but Artemis knew the truth. He had broken down one day and told her that he hated his father for leaving. She had sat quietly while he ranted and raved that day and, when he was done screaming at the world; she had wrapped him in a tight hug and promised that she would always be by his side. He didn't say anything back, though his arms had tightened around her.

When they turned twelve, Artemis had finally told Wally why her father had beaten her. Apparently, he had always wanted a son and he was more than pissed he got Artemis instead. Regardless, he trained her to be a fighting machine, the "perfect assassin", though for what Artemis didn't know. She had only told him after he had caught her going through her forms and asked her how she knew such complicated martial arts. She had told him that she didn't want to do it, any of it, but her father threatened to hurt her mother every time she refused. Wally had thrown a dark and almost murderous look back at the apartment complex, but surprised her by asking her to teach him what she knew.

"It'll seem less like training if you're learning it all to teach me later, right?" he had asked. It was simple, twelve year old logic, but Artemis had agreed and quickly found out that it worked. She still hated when her father came home and dragged her out for training, but thinking about teaching it all to Wally later made it seem a bit more bearable. She had learned very quickly that Wally was a very fast learner, as he became almost more than a match for her in martial arts; her skills with the bow were always better though.

A year later, Artemis' mother finally left her father, after he had broken both her legs and permanently put her in a wheelchair. Not knowing where else to go, Artemis and her mother had moved in with Wally and his mother. It wasn't meant to be a permanent solution, but as money got tight with both families, they discovered that sharing the two bedroom apartment and splitting the rent was easier. Wally and Artemis had been delegated to sleeping on the two sofas in the living room, but neither of them really cared.

By the time they were sixteen, they had become so in-tune with each other that some people often speculated if one or both of them had telepathic powers. Of course, neither of them had any superhuman abilities; they just knew each other so well inside and out that all it took was a single look for them to communicate with each other. It had also become more than obvious that where one of them went, the other always followed. It was a running joke with their peers that if you ever wanted to find Wally, all you had to do was look for Artemis and vice versa. Even their mothers often said that the two of them had attached themselves at the hip in second grade and had spent years cultivating that bond to the point that absolutely nothing could break it. It was this bond with each other that had caused Artemis to be there the day of Wally's accident and to subsequently be the only person to know of the consequences of his little science experiment.

"You're a total dork, you know that, right?" Artemis asked Wally, though her tone was light and teasing. "You get fifty buck for your birthday and what do you do with it? You use it to bribe off the guard at Gotham Chemical Laboratories so you can sneak in and go 'shopping'."

Wally looked back at her, a grin on his face. The same grin, incidentally, that made many of the girls in their school claim that he was "hot", though he never really paid much attention to them. "And how is that any different than how you spent your money for your birthday two months ago, you nerd?" he replied just as teasingly. "I seem to remember you blowing it all on getting into the Gotham Technological Institute. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure you forced me along so I could help you carry stuff out."

Artemis just rolled her eyes good naturedly before she picked up the paper sitting on the ground next to her. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Wally's sixteenth birthday had been two days before and he had taken all of his birthday money (plus more that he had been saving) and dragged Artemis to Gotham Chemical Laboratories to get all the chemicals he claimed he needed for his latest experiment. After "buying" everything he needed, he had promptly set up shop in their secret "hideout". When they had been fourteen they had discovered an abandoned and closed off subway substation and had put it to "good use". Artemis used it as a place to fiddle around with new ideas she had for different pieces of technology and Wally used it as a place to store, hide, and mess with various chemicals and experiments he may or may not have deemed as entirely legal. Over the past couple years, this place had served them both well, and Artemis had been able to cobble together an electronic identification system with some spare parts that she had installed at the door so no one but themselves could get in. "So what are you experimenting with now?" she asked half distractedly as she flipped through the paper.

Wally shrugged. "Not really sure what it'll do, actually," he replied just as distracted. "I just got the idea to mix some of this stuff together and see what happens. If I'm right, it should temporarily heighten the senses of whoever takes it."

Artemis hummed in response as she found an article that caught her attention. Before too long, she threw the entire paper down in disgust and scoffed. "News media is just getting worse and worse," she sneered.

Wally stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. "What are they saying now?" he asked.

"The usual, really," she replied. "The same old local crap on Batman and his little sidekick Robin, then "world" pieces on Superman, the Flash, and all of them. What really pissed me off," she started as she threw a glare at the discarded paper for good measure. "Is the fact the UN is giving the entire Justice League yet another medal for keeping the world peace. I mean, I get that they've got to save the world, fine, but what are they actually doing in their home territories?"

Wally scoffed and glared at the paper as well. "Damn near nothing," he replied. "The Bats and Robin get all the "big" guys, sure, but in the meantime petty crime is going up all over Gotham cause they're not doing anything about the local street gangs."

"Exactly!" Artemis cried, exasperated. "Why the public at large fawns over these guys, I'll never know."

Wally nodded his head in agreement as he turned back to his experiment. It was a long running agreement between them that the superheroes were, for the large part, pretty much useless when you got right down to it. Sure, they took care of the big stuff, but who was out there stopping the gangs from going out and doing what they liked? Who was there for that poor kid from their grade last Thursday that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and got shot in the head? The heroes of the Justice League were really figureheads at best and neither one of them could figure out why they deserved so much praise and attention simply because they were a little bit different. They had both long since decided to leave the hero worship to the masses and they'd focus on keeping themselves alive, thank you very much. Neither of them were useless and both of them were pretty handy in a fight so why should they wait around and expect someone else to save them when they were perfectly capable of doing so themselves. _(1)_

A particularly loud boom of thunder sounded through the substation and shook the tables slightly, but he paid no attention. They had long grown used to the ways thunderstorms would affect this place and hardly noticed anymore.

Artemis fell silent for a moment and just watched Wally as he worked. She shivered slightly once when a cold draft blew through the substation and pulled her jacket closer around her. It was their winter break of their sophomore year of high school and though the winters in Gotham rarely ever got cold enough for snow to fall, the near constant rain and persistent chill in the air was more than enough for the large city's inhabitants. Suddenly the lights went out just as a particularly loud boom of thunder shook the air around them.

"Aw man!" Wally cried. "I can't see what I'm doing!"

Artemis sighed, though a fond smile tugged at her lips. "I got it," she said as she stood and made her way over to the fuse box. "Remind me to get on upgrading these fuses at some point," she added.

Wally laughed somewhere in the dark. "You've been saying that for months. I don't think either of us really remember until something like this happens."

"And then there was light," Artemis said as she flipped the right switches and brought the lights back on. A few sparking and popping noises could be heard and both she and Wally looked up to see a few frayed and sparking electrical wires. "I'm going to have to replace those one of these days too," she commented. "Though it would require shutting down the entire system."

Artemis had managed to build an entire electrical system within the substation that powered the lights as well as the bank of computers she had built from scratch. In the two years since they had found this place, both of them had made it their own. Wally had tables full of equipment, chemicals, analyzing machines, anything and practically everything science related he could get his hands on. Artemis herself had tables full of scraps, wires, and half-finished projects.

Wally watched the sparking lights a moment longer. "I'll hurry up with this then," he said. "I'm not really sure what would happen if a stray spark hit this stuff and I'd rather not find out without the right protective equipment."

Artemis nodded and walked up to stand next to him. In a clear glass jar was a clear liquid substance that, when she leaned a bit closer, she found smelled worse than year old gym socks. "Yuck!" she cried. "It smells awful."

Wally laughed again. "That's why you don't go around sniffing at strange jars of chemicals," he chided, a teasing grin on her face.

"You could have warned me, you know," Artemis grumbled.

Wally just laughed again and picked up a beaker filled with a light blue paste-like substance. "I promise to give you a heads up next time," he said as he carefully poured the blue mixture into the jar with the clear liquid.

No sooner had he added the substance there was a loud popping noise. Both of them looked up in time to see an exposed wire hanging overhead let loose a volley of sparks, most of them headed right for the mixture Wally had just finished. Wally reacted first and grabbed Artemis to him, shielding her from the explosion of glass and chemicals as the sparks fell into the jar.

For a few minutes, all Artemis could hear was a ringing in her ears and she felt a little dazed. "Artemis?" she finally heard. "Artemis, can you hear me? Come on, Arty, answer me!"

She opened her eyes and looked directly into the worried green eyes of her best friend. "I thought I told you not to call me Arty," she groused.

Wally laughed while she took note of her bearings and she immediately realized that he was covered in a strange, pale blue goo. "Wally!" she exclaimed. "Are you all right? You're covered in this stuff." She reached out to touch it, but Wally backed away quickly.

"Don't," he said. "I don't know what that explosion did to the chemicals and the bonds they had formed. It's better if only one of us is infected."

"Wally," Artemis sighed. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked as she looked to the ceiling, just in time for a large dose of the goop to drop right into her open eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut reflexively, but it was too late; much of the goop had hit her directly in the eyes.

"Artemis!" Wally cried as he rushed forward. "Oh man, are you all right? Does it burn at all? Come on, we've got to wash it all out quick."

"Wally, I'm fine," she tried to reassure the boy. Was it just her, or did he seem to be speaking even faster than he usually did. "Honestly, Wally, I'm okay. It doesn't burn or anything."

"We should still get it all washed out," he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the small bathroom. "Just because it isn't burning doesn't mean it isn't dangerous."

Artemis just sighed and let herself be dragged along. There really was no stopping him anyway; once he had something set in his mind it was as good as done. She waited patiently while he gently ran a wet clothe over her face before he instructed her to go stand under the showerhead they had put in for just such emergencies as these. She did as she was told and a few minutes later she opened her now clear eyes and gave Wally a smile. "There, see? I'm just fine."

Wally looked at her skeptically for a moment. "Are you sure? No bad side effects? Can you see alright?"

Artemis rolled her eyes and grabbed Wally's wrist, about the only part of him that wasn't covered in goop. "Yes, I'm sure. No, there are no bad side effects. And yes, I can see just fine." _Better than fine, actually_, she thought to herself. _Everything seems to be in much clearer focus_. "Now you need to get that stuff off you too," she told him as she shoved him under the running water.

A couple minutes later they were walking back up the steps leading out of the substation and to their bikes. They had found a couple of junked motorcycles the year before and had taken it upon themselves to fix them up. Wally had found a way to get them to run on a cheap and easy to make chemical synthetic as opposed to gas and Artemis had managed to deck them out electronically. She had replaced the usual key ignition system with a fingerprint and code based ignition system. A panel near the front of the bike would slide open after reading the fingerprint and matching it to preset individuals and would then prompt that person for a four digit code. After imputing the code, the bike started right up. It had taken them a couple months to get everything figured out, but the end results were worth it. Artemis' bike was a sleek, dark hunter green and Wally's bike faded from a darker gray to black. Both of them took great care of their bikes, even if it was still technically illegal for them to be driving them quite yet.

"Let's get home," Wally said as he started up his bike and pulled on his helmet. Artemis simply nodded in response and followed suit. _At least our moms won't ask why we're all wet_, she thought. _Not with the rain coming down like this anyway_.

"So, you sure you're okay?" Wally asked through the closed channel comm-links Artemis had built into their helmets so they could still talk to each other while they drove.

"I'm fine, Wally!" she insisted. "Besides, what about you? You were covered in that stuff for a while."

Wally shrugged. "I'm fine," he replied. "Nothing seems to be wrong." _Well, besides the fact that my thought processes are speeding up_, he thought. _But that isn't necessarily a bad thing_.

The two of them made it back to the apartment just fine, making sure to stash their bikes where their mothers wouldn't find them, quickly changed out of their wet clothes, and promptly crashed on the couches.

Wally was the first one to wake up in the morning, only to find that both of their mothers had already left for work. A couple of quickly written notes were lying on the coffee table instructing both he and Artemis to get their chores done before their mothers got home. He took a quick glance over at the couch Artemis slept on and decided to let her sleep a while longer. His stomach growled loudly at him and he decided it was time to get breakfast, especially when a quick glance at the microwave clock told him it was almost eleven in the morning. He got up from his place on the couch and started to make his way over to the small kitchen, only to feel a rush of air go by his head and suddenly find himself skidding to a stop before he ran into the refrigerator. "What the?" he wondered out loud. He glanced back to the living room, turned around, and as he took a step, he felt air rush by again and the world around him blurred a bit. He tried to stop himself once more, but ended tumbling onto the sofa he had previously vacated. "What the hell is going on?" he yelled as he righted himself.

"Wally?" Artemis asked groggily as she opened her eyes. "What's going on?" She sat up to find the boy sprawled almost uncomfortably on the couch.

"Artemis," Wally said as he glanced at her. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you. Check this out." He stood once again and blurred back and forth between the kitchen and living room once more, only this time with a bit more control. "I think it's a side effect of those chemicals," he said as he sat on the couch. "I need to get back there and run some tests."

"So, what? You're like the Flash now?" Artemis asked as she narrowed her eyes at him, only to have them widen once again in shock as she let out a surprised yelp.

"Artemis?" Wally asked as he blurred to her side. "What's wrong?"

"I just…" she said, pointing vaguely to where he had just been. "I narrowed my eyes and suddenly I was zooming in on you," she managed after a moment. "Kind of like telescopic zoom on a camera or a sniper rifle." She looked up at her redheaded best friend. "Wally, what's going on?"

Wally regarded her for a moment before he snapped his fingers. "Some of the chemicals fell into your eyes!" he exclaimed. "I'll bet that's what caused all this." His eyes got a faraway look. "Interesting that it affected us differently though. We'll need to get back down there today so I can run some tests on both of us," he finished. "We need to know what exactly happened to us and if we should be worried."

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><p><strong>AN 2<strong>: So, there's chapter one. Like I said, I'm still on the fence about whether or not to actually write this, so please let me know what you think. If you guys like it, I'll keep it up. As far as what I said about the superheroes/the Justice League, please do not flame me for that. That is not my personal opinion, just something I thought Wally and Artemis would believe after growing up in the slums of Gotham and watching some of the worst humanity had to offer them without anyone really trying to fix it. As always, reviews are welcomes so drop a line and let me know what you think


	2. Chapter 2

**AN**: Well, due to the overwhelming responses I've gotten, I decided to post chapter two and keep up with this story. Thank you so much guys! I didn't expect such positive feedback. You guys totally made such a crappy day so much better :) Please enjoy chapter two and don't forget to drop a review when you're done reading ;).

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Young Justice or anything affiliated with it.

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><p>Three hours later and Artemis was officially bored. She had watched Wally for a while as he blurred around taking samples of some of the goop that had managed not to end up on either one of them. He'd run a few tests, made a few notes, and blurred around some more. He'd even taken blood samples and cheek swabs from the both of them to analyze and still he didn't say anything to her. After the novelty of watching him super-speed around the room had worn off Artemis had made her way over to her own work station to fiddle around with some of her own half-finished projects. Over the course of an hour she had cobbled together a working computer with a holographic touchscreen mostly from a USB drive and a few spare parts. By pressing a button she had installed into the USB drive a pale blue holographic screen would appear, complete with a keyboard. She was rather proud of it, especially when she had figured out how to keep its old function as a USB drive intact so she could download (or upload) anything from any computer that had a port. She had even put one together for Wally, fully expecting him to be done with his tests by the time she had finished. She looked up, hoping for results, and saw him speeding back to the refrigerator they kept stocked for the third time that hour.<p>

"Again?" she asked incredulously. "Wally, if you keep eating like that we won't have anything left in there by the end of the night."

Wally turned to look at her, a sheepish smile on his face and an apple clutched firmly in his hand. "Sorry Artemis," he said as he closed the fridge door. "I'm just so hungry much more often lately. I'm thinking it has something to do with all of this."

Artemis nodded towards the banks of machines Wally had running tests. "So, anything worth mentioning yet?"

"Just about," he replied as he made his way back over. "I'm just waiting for the analyses to come through." No sooner had he finished speaking when a series of beeps alerted the pair to the completed tests. Wally rushed over and blurred between machines, reading and interpreting the data.

"What's the verdict?" Artemis asked as she came to stand by him, careful not to get in his way as he sped around.

"Well, we're not in any danger at least," Wally said, finally slowing down and dropping into a chair.

"I'm sensing a "but" in that," Artemis responded warily as she sat in the chair next to him.

Wally shook his head. "It's nothing bad," he began. "In your case, the compound did exactly what it was supposed to do, only to a greater degree than I had thought it would."

"And that would be…" Artemis prompted.

"It heightened your eyesight," Wally replied. "Remember I said that the compound should have increased the senses of whoever took it? Well, that's what it did for you, just a lot more than I thought it would have. The sparks and explosion probably altered the compound enough to increase its potency."

"You said that it was temporary," Artemis said, recalling their conversation from the previous night. "So this is going to wear off eventually?" She felt kind of disappointed with that, she had grown to like her heighted eyesight and the fact that she could now zoom in on things.

Wally shook his head again. "No, that's another thing the explosion probably altered. This change is permanent; it's basically altered our DNA to allow for these changes."

Artemis nodded. "But we're fine right? Other than having our DNA altered, there aren't any negative side effects?"

"Not for you, no," Wally answered. "You should be fine."

Artemis' eyes narrowed as she caught on to the subtext of what Wally had said. Of course, her line of sight zoomed in again and she absently noted to make time to learn to control that. "What about you?" she asked. "You were covered in the stuff and you just said I would be fine, but you left yourself out of that statement."

Wally shrugged. "It's nothing bad or anything, I'm not going to die. The compound just sped everything about me up; my thought process, my metabolism, my healing rate, everything. I'm only able to speak normally right now and sit still through conscious effort," he said with a rueful smile. "The only really negative side effect for me is that I'm going to have to eat a lot more and a lot more often than usual in order to stay functioning. That's why I've been so hungry lately."

"But if you don't eat as often?" Artemis asked, worried about her best friend.

"I just slow down," Wally replied. "I'll probably feel sick or weak, but as long as I eat something I'll recover."

"Why did the compound affect us differently?" Artemis continued, relieved that Wally would be fine.

"I honestly have no idea," Wally replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice; he never did like questions he couldn't answer. "All of the tests I've run show that it should have affected us the same way."

"Odd," Artemis said with a frown. "So what do we do now?"

"What do you want to do?" Wally asked with a shrug. "Given enough time, I could probably find a way to synthesize a compound to reverse all this, but I have to say, I kind of like this whole super-speed thing."

"I kind of like my enhanced eyesight too. Being able to zoom in is really helpful when I'm working on the small scale," Artemis said as she nodded and a teasing smile tugged at her lips. "Besides, now you're just like Flash."

Wally scowled. "I may have the same powers, but I'd really rather not be compared to him, thanks," he growled before a smirk spread across his own face. "Of course, you having telescopic zoom would come in handy when you use the bow too. You could be just like Green Arrow, or maybe just his sidekick Speedy."

"Oh ha ha," Artemis replied sarcastically. "Cause it's always been my dream to be just like them," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, I'm a better shot than either of them could ever hope to be." She grinned at Wally. "Even you can shoot better than them, and that's saying something."

Wally grinned right back at her. "Well, we can't all be freaky archer ninjas," he said. "Some of us just have to settle with amazing martial arts skills instead."

"Yeah, and you have neither," Artemis said with a laugh.

"Wanna bet?" Wally challenged. "It's been a few days since we last sparred. Up for another round?"

"Always," Artemis said with a grin. "And this time when I win I think I'll have you take me out for ice cream."

"Dream on," Wally laughed. "You'll be the one buying me pizza. Just remember, I eat a lot more now."

Artemis just laughed as they walked over to a cleared area they had set up to practice and spar in. Neither one of them had learned anything new since Artemis' mother left her father, but that really didn't matter to either of them. Artemis had been trained to the master level of at least six different forms of martial arts and she had taught everything she knew to Wally.

Half an hour later saw the pair lying on the clod concrete breathing heavily. "I still say you cheated," Artemis said once she caught her breath.

"What, just cause I've got super-speed now?" Wally asked with a small chuckle. "I promise I didn't use my powers to my advantage…much," he said as he grinned _her_ grin at her.

Artemis rolled her eyes and scoffed, but she couldn't even stay slightly annoyed with him when he smiled at her like that. When Wally usually smiled at someone there was always something guarded about his smile, even if other people couldn't see it. With Artemis though, his grins always reached his eyes and he never kept anything back when he smiled at her. It was a little aggravating sometimes that all he had to do was smile at her and she wouldn't be angry with him anymore. _Though, I suppose it works the same way with him_, she thought. She had noticed a long time ago that when she smiled at him, _really_ smiled at him, she could get him to do just about anything she asked.

"Besides," Wally added when Artemis didn't reply. "You still beat me anyway."

"True," Artemis said as she jumped to her feet. "Come on, I'm feeling like ice cream all of a sudden."

Wally rolled his eyes, but chuckled and followed Artemis out of their substation. "Just go easy on my wallet," he said.

"We'll see," Artemis replied with a sly smirk. "Oh! Before I forget, here," she said as she pulled one of her altered USB drives out of her pocket and handed it over to Wally.

"A flash drive?" Wally asked as a teasing grin lit up his face. "No offense Arty, but I'm pretty sure someone already invented these. What happened? Did you run out of ideas?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Ha ha, wise guy. And don't call me Arty." She reached over and pressed the button and watched Wally's face as the holo-screen came to life.

"Dude!" Wally exclaimed, an amazed look all over his face. "Geez Artemis, I think you've outdone yourself this time."

Artemis smiled at the praise. "Thanks. It can still function as a USB drive too," she added.

Wally messed around with the touch screen for a moment before he laughed. "And you added Wi-Fi?" he asked.

Artemis shrugged. "I was bored and you were taking forever with your tests. It automatically hacks into any nearby Wi-Fi signals so you don't have to worry about that."

Wally laughed and shut down the screen before he slid his new toy courtesy of Artemis into his pocket. "You're amazing, you know that?" he asked as he slung an arm across her shoulders.

Artemis leaned against him a bit as she laughed. "Don't think you can flatter and flirt your way out of paying for some ice cream," she said as she ducked out beneath his arm and dashed over to her bike.

"Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying," Wally laughed back as he climbed onto his own bike. "Race you there?" he asked.

"You're on!" Artemis exclaimed before they both sped away.

It was after another classmate had gotten killed in a gang war that Wally had come up with the idea. Artemis and Wally had been watching the news that afternoon, not having anything better to do, when the story came on. Neither one of them were particularly close to the boy (of course they weren't really close to anyone but each other anyway), but they both still knew him. He had been a quiet kid, never said much, but he seemed nice enough. When the news coverage of his death switched immediately to yet another story on the Justice League after only a few minutes, Artemis was more than a little pissed.

"It's like all that matters is the stupid heroes!" she yelled at the TV. "Don't reporters have anything better to do then follow people around who claim to be protectors but can't even clean up the streets in their own cities?" Wally was uncharacteristically quiet and Artemis turned and looked at him. Usually he was just as pissed as she was about the whole thing, if not more so. "Wally?" she asked, a little bit calmer now that her attention was focused on her best friend. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Wally blinked and looked over to her. "Oh, nothing's wrong, just thinking."

"About what?" Artemis prompted when she saw that faraway look creep into his eyes again. If you didn't catch Wally before he spaced out again you'd have to wait until he'd put all the pieces together in his own mind before he'd say anything to you.

"Well, they're not doing anything about the gangs in this city, or any city really, right?" he asked with a contemptuous glance at the television screen that showed a picture of the entire Justice League.

"Right," Artemis agreed, wondering where he was going with this.

"Well, why don't we do something then," he said, looking at her earnestly. "We've been practicing with the powers that compound gave us and we've both always been really good at fighting. Why don't we do something to clean up these streets? We've got the powers and we've got the abilities and besides, someone's got to do it."

Artemis looked at him for a moment, thinking. "We could do it," she began. "We'd need a way to keep our identities a secret, but I think you're right." She grinned at him, that same feral grin she wore whenever they got into a fight. "Let's do it," she said.

"I thought you'd agree," Wally replied, his own feral grin on his face.

It was two months later and Wally and Artemis had kept up with their plan to clean up their city. They weren't doing too badly either, if the number of gangs they had managed to pull off the streets was any indication to go by. They had upgraded the systems on their substation and used it as a base of sorts to operate out of; keeping weapons and such stashed there. Every night, after their mothers had fallen asleep, they would suit up and slip quietly out of the house. Artemis and Wally had put together outfits made of durable material to change into before they went out to patrol the streets (AN/ basically what they wear in the show, just without the markings on their chests and Wally's suit is the black and gray of his stealth suit). Wally had gotten excited about codenames, though Artemis immediately shot down the idea for herself.

"Call yourself whatever you want," she had said. "But I'm sticking with Artemis."

"But what about keeping who we are a secret?" Wally had protested.

Artemis shrugged. "Artemis was the goddess of the hunt in Greek mythology, therefore very skilled with a bow. I'll be using a bow as my primary weapon so people will probably just link it to that."

Wally had looked at her skeptically. "You're giving these guys a lot of credit in the intelligence department," he had said. "But that's your choice I suppose. I'll go by Impulse while we're out there."

Artemis had shrugged, but readily agreed to call him by his codename anyway.

Two months after that conversation and Wally and Artemis were staking out a mob meeting at an abandoned loading bay near the docks.

"Anything?" Artemis asked as Impulse came speeding back up to their spot on the roof after making a quick dash around the building.

"Nope, nothing yet," Impulse replied with a shake of his head.

"What's taking so long?" Artemis huffed. "We've got a history test tomorrow and though I could probably take it in my sleep, I'd rather not try."

Impulse grinned at her. "Deep breaths, Artemis, and be patient. If I can manage to sit still so can you."

"Yeah, yeah," Artemis said with a roll of her eyes. "Wait!" she exclaimed as she scrambled to the edge of the building and peering down. "There!" she said, pointing. "Here they come."

Impulse moved beside her. "I'll take your word for it," he said. "I can't see a thing, but you're the one with the eyes anyway." He stood up and offered her a hand. "Shall we go dispose of some street scum?' he asked with his feral grin.

"Oh, yes, let's," Artemis said and accepted his hand as a matching grin spread across her face.

The first thing they noticed when they burst through the doors was that there was much more people than they had originally heard. The second thing they noticed was that a fight had already started. It was the third thing they noticed that really took them by surprise. There, in the center of all the fighting was Batman and Robin.

"The hell are they doing here?" Impulse asked, stunned.

"Don't know," Artemis growled back in response. "But I'll be damned if I let them have this one." Without another word, she threw herself into the fray; letting loose arrows filled with knockout gas and vicious punches and kicks.

Impulse shrugged and followed after his partner. She had a point anyway; this hit was theirs and Bats and Robin could shove it if they had a problem with it. Till then though, he'd just focus on taking down as many baddies as he could while watching Artemis' back.

With the two teams taking on the gathered mob, the fighting didn't last long. "We did good," Impulse said with a grin as he rested an elbow on Artemis' shoulder and surveyed the downed and unconscious men.

"You shouldn't even be here," came the gravelly voice of Batman from behind them. "Just who are you?"

Impulse stood up straight and stared the Bat down. Sure, he was a little intimidating, but after what he had grown up around it didn't faze him that much. "I'm Impulse," he stated calmly before he gestured to Artemis. "And that's Artemis."

"And we have every right to be here," Artemis added with a scowl. "We're just doing our job."

"You're job?" Batman asked. "And what would that be?"

Impulse felt certain the man had raised an eyebrow, though it was hard to tell with the mask and all. "Cleaning up the streets of Gotham, one slum at a time," he replied with a challenging edge to his voice.

"Something you and the rest of the Justice League seem utterly incapable of doing," Artemis added with a sneer.

"You're just kids," Robin spoke up. "What do you know about the League?"

Impulse scoffed. "In case you haven't looked in a mirror lately, you're just a kid too shorty. And we don't really know anything about the League, true, but we do know that crime and violence in the slums hasn't gone down any with any of you around so we figured we'd do something about it."

"That's not you're place to decided," Batman said, after throwing a look at Robin. "Now go home and never let me catch you out here again."

"Ha!" Artemis exclaimed. "Like you can tell us what to do," she snorted. "In case you didn't notice, we're not helpless little kids. We can take care of ourselves just fine, thanks. So why don't you just go do your thing and we'll keep doing ours."

"This isn't some game for children," Batman growled.

"You're right, it's not," Impulse agreed. "But someone's got to be looking after the people in the slums since you seem incapable of doing so." He grabbed Artemis' hand and pulled her to the exit. "We've got other places to be, so you can handle the cleanup, yeah?"

"By the way," Artemis threw over her shoulder. "After the stuff we've grown up around, you're little act doesn't intimidate us for one moment. We're not going anywhere as long as Gotham needs people that will actually do something about what's happening here instead of gallivanting off around the world. That said, you stay out of our way, we stay out of yours."

Later that night, Wally and Artemis crashed on their couches, dead tired, but grinning. "Dude, we stood up to Batman, _the_ Batman!" he exclaimed. "Never thought I'd get to say that."

"Yeah," Artemis agreed with a laugh. "Though I'm pretty sure we managed to piss him off."

"Who cares?" Wally asked with a shrug. "What's he going to do to us? He doesn't know who we are."

"True," Artemis replied. "Still he could make our jobs harder for us."

"He can try," Wally responded darkly. "But I meant what I said."

"I did too," Artemis said. "I'm not going anywhere as long as Gotham needs us."

"Right," Wally responded. "And I've always got your back. Where you go, I go."

"Of course," Artemis said with a fond smile. "We're stuck with each other till the day we die and beyond."

Wally smiled her smile at her and nodded, before he promptly fell asleep. It wasn't long before Artemis was off in dreamland herself.

If they had thought running into Batman and Robin the night before was a shock, it was nothing to what waited for them when they got home from school the next day. They had pushed their way through the apartment door, still gripping about the history test they had had first period, only to see their mothers sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for them, large smiles on their faces.

"What's going on?" Wally asked warily as he approached the table, Artemis right behind him.

"Mom?" Artemis asked. "Why are you smiling at me like that? It's a little creepy."

"We're so proud of you!" Wally's mother suddenly exploded as she burst from her seat at the table and wrapped her son in a hug. "You're future is set!"

"What are you talking about?" Wally asked as he tried to break out of his mother's hug. He could use his recent trick of vibrating his molecules so fast he could pass through solid matter, but six times out of ten it failed and all he had to show for his attempts was a bloody nose. Besides, neither of their mothers knew about their, uh, _extracurricular_ activities at night.

"We're talking about these!" Artemis' mother said as she held up two neat, white envelops, one addressed to Wall and the other addressed to Artemis. Both teens noticed that the envelopes had already been opened and neither of them failed to notice the Wayne Foundation logo in the upper left corner.

"A full scholarship to Gotham Academy?" Artemis asked as she read through her letter.

"But we never applied for a scholarship," Wally said. "Hell, we never even applied to Gotham Academy."

"Wally, language," his mother chided. "Besides, it's not something you apply for."

"Right, you're either accepted or you're not," Artemis' mother seconded, her smile still on her face. "We're so proud of both of you!"

"Of course, you'll have to live in the dorms, but you can come home every weekend," Wally's mother continued. "I can't believe it; you'll get such a great education! We won't have to worry about how to send you to college now!"

"Uh, yeah," Artemis said, glancing over at Wally. She knew both of them were thinking the exact same thing. _Just what the hell was going on?_

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: So there's chapter two. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I am aware that I took Wally's hero name from the DC universe, but I couldn't think of anything else and "Kid Flash" wasn't going to work, for obvious reasons. So, Batman and Robin showed up and Wally and Artemis got accepted to Gotham Academy the next day. Coincidence? Who knows...? Don't forget to leave a review please! I love to hear what you have to say :)


	3. Chapter 3

**AN**: A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or favorite this story and extra thanks to Lasach and tokidoki-chan for pointing out grammar and detail; definitely stuff I need to work on. To answer your question Blackpantherwolf, I'm not sure if I'm going to ship them yet or not. Personally, I love them as a couple (as my other stories for YJ show), but we'll see where this one goes. Sometimes the best relationships grow out of the best friendships so we'll just have to see I suppose. Hope you enjoy chapter three and don't forget to leave a review ;)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Young Justice or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

><p>They had received their acceptance letters to Gotham Academy on Thursday followed by their new class schedules came on Friday. Wally and Artemis were glad to see that they were still in all the same classes; it saved Artemis having to hack into the school's website to fix that. On Saturday their dorm assignments came, along with their school uniforms. For five days of the week both of them would be wearing pristine white button-up shirts, dark gray sweater vests, light blue ties, and Wally would be wearing dark grey pants while Artemis would be stuck in a dark grey pleated skirt. To say that Artemis was less than pleased would be the understatement of the century.<p>

"A skirt?" she practically yelled, a disgusted look on her face after she and Wally had opened the packages with their uniforms. "Do they not understand that I don't do skirts?" She looked over as Wally pulled his dark gray slacks from the bag. "Switch with me," she said.

Wally looked up at his best friend, puzzled, before a mischievous grin spread across his lips. "Well, it would shock all the rich brats, wouldn't it? We might even get expelled the first day. All right, fork over the skirt."

"Oh no you don't," Wally's mother said as she stepped between the two of them before they could exchange articles of clothing. "You'll both be on your best behavior," she said sternly. "We expect the good grade you're both more than capable of and we don't want one single bad report coming home! Understand?"

Wally and Artemis exchanged disgruntled looks, but they agreed to be on their best behavior; for as long as they could be anyway.

Sunday morning their mothers woke them up bright and early and piled them into the car. They had stayed awake long enough to help carry their boxes to the car and clamber into the back seat of the small green Pontiac Sunfire before Wally leaned against the window and promptly went back to sleep. Artemis had shot him a look, rolled her eyes, and decided to hell with it. She leaned against him and joined him in dreamland.

It wasn't long before Artemis and Wally were being shaken awake once more to get a look at their new school.

"Welcome to the world of the rich and snobby," Wally said as he and Artemis eyed the large brown stone building with distaste. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a church," he added as they walked under the wrought iron archway that proclaimed they were at Gotham Academy.

"Good morning," a boy maybe two years younger than them said as he walked towards them. He had dark hair and dark blue eyes and something about him seemed almost familiar, but neither of them could place it. "You must be the new students, Wallace West and Artemis Crock. Welcome to Gotham Academy. I'm Richard Grayson, the student body president here at Gotham Academy. If you'll follow me, I'll take you on a tour of the campus before showing you to your dorm rooms."

"Shoot me," Artemis begged Wally under her breath. "Just shoot me and let me leave this hell."

"And get stuck here by myself?" Wally asked. "Not a chance. At least we'll still have each other through this."

"But you'd be doing me a favor!" Artemis protested. "It would be a mercy killing. I'd even see if I could arrange a premature heart attack once I'm on the other side. Or death by runaway bus or something."

Wally just chuckled. "I don't think the bus thing would work. Primal fear and survival responses would kick in if I saw a bus coming towards me and I'd easily outrun it."

"I thought you were my best friend," Artemis grumbled good naturedly, a small smile on her face. "But here you stand and you won't even have the decency to off my before I get shipped off to hell."

"I am your best friend," Wally said, a hurt expression on his face before it turned to an evil smirk. "But you're nuts if you think I'm going to let you out of this and leave me behind that easily."

"Well! Doesn't this place look nice?" Artemis' mother asked as she wheeled up to them. "I'm sure the two of you will have a great time here. Oh, Wally, why don't you go help your mother with the boxes."

Wally and Artemis exchanged skeptical looks before he started off for the car.

"Oh, there's no need to carry those boxes," Richard interrupted. "Someone will be down shortly to bring your things to your rooms."

"Oh, isn't that just nice!" Wally's mother exclaimed as she put the box she had been struggling with back in the trunk. She smiled broadly at her son. "Oh, Wally I'm so proud of you!" She drew him into a tight hug. "Don't forget to come home on weekends."

"Okay, all right mom!" Wally exclaimed as he struggled to get out of her grasp. "I'll see you Friday night." He finally managed to untangle himself from his mother's arms and looked over to see Artemis in a similar position with her own mother.

After the two of them had managed to finally say good-bye to their mothers they walked back over to where Richard stood. He had an amused smile on his face and Wally narrowed his eyes at him. _Smug little prick_, he thought. "Well, lead on Mr. President," he said aloud. He thought he had seen Grayson roll his eyes, but he couldn't be sure.

The tour took longer than either of them had expected as Grayson seemed determined to show them every little nook and cranny that existed in the school. They had started with a basic overview of the school itself, followed by the library, then the dining hall. Then they had been shown the state-of-the-art gym and swimming pool, complete with a movable floor depending on whether or not there were diving or lap competitions, before they were lead back outside to the track and football field. Finally, Grayson lead them back to the dorms, which really just looked like converted white-stone mansions. They had learned that two people would share a suit complete with two rooms, a living room, and a bathroom. Wally and Artemis had been hoping to share a suit, as they had transferred in this late in the year, but they had learned that boys and girls were separated into two different dorm buildings. They parted ways at Artemis' dorm, promising to meet up at lunch in a few hours.

"So, who am I bunking with?" Wally asked as he and Grayson made their way over to the boys' dorms. "Football jock? Science nerd? Techno geek? Social outcast?"

"Actually," Grayson answered. "You'll be sharing a dorm with me."

Wally laughed out loud. "No seriously," he said once he calmed down. "Who am I sharing a dorm suit with?"

"I just told you," Grayson replied, sounding a little ticked. "You're sharing with me. The second room in my suit was open so they stuck you in it."

"All right then," Wally said with a shrug. "So, you keep to your own business and I'll keep to mine?"

Grayson eyed him for a moment. "That sounds fair enough I suppose," he answered at last. "As long as you keep the living room and bathroom clean. I could care less if your bedroom looks like a disaster area, but I expect the rest of the dorm to stay clean."

Wally just made a small noise of agreement, but otherwise stayed silent as he followed the younger boy through a locked door into their dorm. The door opened right into the living room with two hallways branching off on either side to the bedrooms. The living room was furnished with a large, dark leather sofa and two matching armchairs. A large flat screen television was positioned against the wall opposite the couch and Wally saw a laptop sitting on the coffee table between the television and the couch.

"Your room is down that hall," Grayson said, pointing towards the left as he sat down on the couch and pulled the laptop to him. "Students get free Wi-Fi in the doors and all around campus, the password and login is the same you use to access your student e-mail account. You'll find all the information on a pamphlet on your desk."

"Okay," Wally said as he made his way over to check out his room. "Uh, where's the bathroom?"

"My side of the dorm, first door on your right," Grayson answered, gesturing vaguely down the opposite hallway.

"Right, thanks," Wall said. He opened the door to his room to see that his boxes had already been brought up and placed at the foot of his full sized bed. A wardrobe complete with a set of drawers sat against the same wall the door was in. A night stand with a digital clock was stationed next to his bed and a desk and bookshelf had been placed against the wall opposite. A set of dark curtains hid two glass double doors that lead out to a balcony. _Perfect for sneaking out_, Wally thought with a grin. He turned back into his room and quickly unpacked all of his belonging before dropped onto his bed and waited for lunch.

About an hour later saw Wally sitting across the table from Artemis trying really hard not to laugh. "Come on," he said. "She can't be _that_ bad, can she?"

"She's Little Miss Sunshine personified," Artemis groaned. "First they make me wear a skirt as part of the uniform and then they stick me with _her_ as a roommate! I swear, I'll be dead by the end of the semester if I have to put up with her 24/7."

Wally couldn't help it this time, he laughed out loud. "I promise to give a very moving eulogy at your funeral then," he teased. "There won't be a single dry eye in the audience by the time I'm done."

"Yeah, cause they'll all be laughing so hard," Artemis retorted, though a smile tugged at her lips.

"So who is your roommate anyway?" Wally asked.

"Megan Morse," Artemis replied. "She's a year older than us. Apparently she's a cheerleader and she's dating one of the two stars of the football team."

"Which one?" Wally asked. "Conner Kent or Kaldur Ahm?"

"Conner," Artemis replied as she looked up sharply. "How do you know those two already?"

Wally shrugged. "I'm rooming with the student body president himself and, against all odds, apparently he's friends with those two. Plus they live in the dorm across from ours and came by to introduce themselves."

"That's it, Wally," Artemis sighed as she dropped her head back to the table. "The Universe must hate us. It's just dragging out this sick, perverse torture until it's had its fun and then, and only then, will it kill us off in the most painful way it can think of."

"I don't ever remember you being this pessimistic or overdramatic before," Wally laughed. "It's funny, yet creepy at the same time."

"I'm just compensating," Artemis replied. "If I'm going to be living with the human embodiment of happiness and sunshine I'm going to need a dose of overdramatic and pessimistic just to stay sane."

Wally just shook his head. "Some people's friends," he teased.

"Oh please, you'd be lost without me," Artemis grinned. "Oh, by the way, what are we going to do about our, uh, job?"

"I say we keep it up," Wally replied. "Just cause we're here doesn't mean we can't still protect the slums. Besides, I think I'm going to need to be out there every night if I have any hope of keeping my sanity intact."

"Now who's being overdramatic?" Artemis teased. "But I know what you mean. What are we going to do about the ten o'clock curfew though?"

"We can sneak out of here easily." Wally said with a shrug. "We'll just wait until our roommates are asleep and take off."

"All right," Artemis agreed. "And getting back into Central Gotham? It's a forty minute drive."

Wally grinned mischievously. "Yeah, but only a two minute _run_, and that's if I go slow."

Artemis grinned back. "Okay then. Meet you outside your dorm at eleven tonight? I need to swing by the substation and restock some arrows while we're out too."

"Sounds good," Wally agreed. "We can check up on our bikes while we're there and maybe bring them back with us. We can hide them somewhere off of school grounds."

At promptly eleven o'clock that night, Wally hopped over the ledge on his balcony and dropped quietly to the ground. Artemis was already waiting for him in the shadows beneath his balcony, a bag slung over her shoulder. Without missing a beat, Wally dropped low so Artemis could climb onto his back before he raced off towards the exit. Leaving Gotham Academy grounds proved to be more difficult than either of them had planned as security guards roomed to grounds. After a few close calls, the pair finally managed to slip off the school property and dashed towards Central Gotham. By the time they reached the substation Artemis was more than ready to hit solid ground again.

"Geez," she said as she wobbled slightly after scrambling off of Wally's back. "How are you not dizzy and disoriented every time you go that fast?"

"Fast?" Wally asked with a laugh. "You thought that was fast? Are you kidding me? I was slowing it down for you so you wouldn't be overwhelmed. I can go _much_ faster than that," he said with a grin that spoke of immense pride.

Artemis just shook her head. "I'm just as much a speed junkie as the next teen, but I don't think normal humans were built to be going that fast. I'll just stick to topping out on my bike, if it's all the same to you."

Wally just laughed again as he snagged his costume from the lockbox he kept underneath one of his work tables. "You forget, I'm not a normal human anymore." He pointed vaguely towards the small bathroom. "I'm gonna go change while you grab whatever you need."

Artemis nodded absently; already absorbed in trying to figure out the ratio of which types of arrows she should have in her quiver for the night. "Yeah, sure. I'll change when you're done then." She frowned when she noticed she only had ten arrows filled with knockout gas left and decided to go easy on them until she could find the time to make more arrows and to get Wally to mix her some more chemicals to fill them.

Wally came zipping back out of the bathroom not even two minutes later to find Artemis still staring intently down at the array of arrows she had splayed over one of the tables. "Still choosing arrows? Most girls have issues with outfits or shoes. You, on the other hand, take up time trying to figure out what kind of weapons to bring to hunt down criminals," he teased.

Artemis shot him a look before returning her concentration to the table. "For your information, I'm almost out of knockout arrows so I'm trying to go easy on them till I can make more. Trying to find a good substitute for them is taking time."

Wally shrugged. "I'll mix some more knockout compounds for you this weekend then," he replied. "I've got everything I need here so it shouldn't take me long."

Artemis nodded as she grabbed a handful of arrows, stashed them in her quiver, and snagged her own costume as she made her way to the bathroom. "Thanks," she said. "I'll be right back."

For the first hour or so nothing really seemed to be happening out on the streets. They had stopped one mugging and retrieved a stolen purse, but for the most part it was shaping up to be a fairly quiet night.

"Well, this is boring," Wally said with a sigh. He was fidgeting his leg so fast it was practically a blur as he and Artemis sat atop a tall apartment building keeping watch. "Where is everyone? Don't they know that the middle of the night is prime bad guy time?"

Artemis chuckled, but kept her eyes on the streets. "You know, you've been a lot less patient since we got our abilities."

"I blame it on the speed," Wally said with a shrug. "Being able to zip right through things now makes it harder to slow down and wait sometimes. So, anything?"

"Just like when you asked not even five minutes ago, the answer is still no," Artemis said. "Wait…"

"What?" Wally exclaimed as he moved closer to his best friend. "What do you see?"

"Shh," Artemis hissed. "I'm trying to concentrate. Now just sit tight and be patient for a minute or two before I get pissed."

Wally rolled his eyes, but remained quiet. If there was one thing he knew from growing up with Artemis it was that you never, under any circumstance, _ever_ pissed her off. Well, unless you had some crazy death wish of course; in which case getting her angry would be the best way to effectively sign your own death warrant.

"Right," Artemis began as she looked over to her best friend and partner. "It looks like the mob is up to something down there."

"Again?" Wally questioned as he shot a glance in the direction Artemis had been looking just a few moments before. "Didn't we mess with their plans a few nights ago? These guys are like damn cockroaches!"

"Yeah," Artemis agreed. "But you were bored and this will give us something to do. Besides, I never get tired of beating on this kind of scum."

"You've got a point," Wally agreed, practically vibrating as the pre-fight excitement hit. "I don't know about you, but I think I'm ready to relieve my boredom," he added as he stood up and offered Artemis a hand. The same wild grin had already plastered itself to his face, and his green eyes shown with an almost poisonous light at the thought of what they were about to do.

"Would I be out here with you if I wasn't ready?" Artemis asked rhetorically as she accepted his hand and let him pull her to her feet. A wicked smirk curved along her lips in response to his grin and her usually calm gray eyes took on an almost violent storm-like hue.

As always, the fight started out simply enough. The pair slipped quietly and unseen into the abandoned warehouse and watched for a moment while some mob flunkies unloaded and processed shipments of weapons and drugs. Artemis had to hold Wally back from blowing their cover when one of the flunkies made some sort of comment about selling the stuff to the "dumb kids on the streets" and just sit back and watch them kill each other while the money kept rolling in. Wally had let out a low growling snarl and had shot Artemis a particularly nasty glare when she had grabbed his arm to keep him from running out there. She had glared right back until he managed to calm himself to wait and watch for a few moments longer. When they were outnumbered, especially by people with weapons of their own, they had a system of waiting for the most opportune moment to strike; usually when most of the people in the group where relaxed and had lowered their guards.

After a few more minutes, Artemis decided that it was time. She quickly drew an arrow from her quiver and shot it at one of the men bent over inspecting a weapon's crate. At the same moment she had released her arrow, Impulse had sped out and quickly dispatched three other men before anyone was even aware what was happening.

"Well, well, well," the leader of the group said as he stood from his place on the hood of a car. His eyes were dark and small and spaced widely apart over a large nose that sat above a pointed chin. His dark hair was oiled and slicked back. Overall, Wally and Artemis thought, he looked a lot like a rat and the duo promptly decided to call him Rat-Face, in lieu of actually knowing his name.. "If it ain't the heroes of the slums themselves. Look here boys, we got ourselves a visit from Impulse and Artemis." He looked over the pair as Impulse zoomed back over to Artemis' side, matching scowls on their faces. "Personally, I just see two teenaged brats that don't know how to respect their elders and I say it's about time someone taught them that respect," he sneered. "Get 'em."

As if awaiting that command, everyone shot forward, intent on getting the two teenagers. A few remembered to grab pipes or other items to use as weapons and started swinging them wildly as the charged forward. Impulse and Artemis exchanged a quick look, the feral grins back on their faces as wild light danced in their eyes.

"Bet I can take down more than you," Impulse challenged.

"You're on!" Artemis accepted. "Same terms," she added as she abandoned her bow and arrows and dropped low to the ground.

"This is going to be too easy," Impulse chuckled as he mimicked her stance.

The first wave of mob flunkies were easily dealt with and quickly dispatched, but then things started to get complicated for the two teens. The mob flunkies seemed to wise up that charging the pair head-on would do them no good and began to try to separate them from each other and back them into a corner. Impulse and Artemis had caught on to their ploy fairly quickly, but that didn't stop them from getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that managed to work their way between them. As the fight wore on, more and more of the flunkies littered the floor of the warehouse, unconscious, and all Impulse and Artemis had to show for it were a few scrapes and bruises. Obviously, the fact that his men were dropping to the floor and not at all managing to do serious harm to either of the teens pushed Rat-Face over the edge and he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Stupid, useless thugs," he grumbled as he pulled out his gun. Most of his men had already been knocked unconscious, leaving only two still standing to fight the two teenagers. "You can't get them to do anything right." A quick glance told him that both teens weren't even looking at him, though he had a clear shot at the girl. Smiling maliciously, he took aim and hooked his finger around the trigger. "Bye-bye little girl," he chuckled to himself as he squeezed.

Impulse heard the shot go off and looked up to see the bullet racing right for Artemis. Without a second thought he slammed his fist into the face of the guy in front of him, not even pausing to watch him drop, before he zipped off to tackle Artemis to the ground. He winced slightly when he felt something sting his shoulder, but brushed it aside. "You all right?" he asked Artemis quickly.

"I'm fine," she grumbled in reply. "You wanna tell me why you threw yourself on top of me?"

Impulse rolled his eyes. "Cause Rat-Face decided he had a clear shot and if I hadn't tackled you out of the way your brains would probably be decorating the warehouse floor."

Artemis made a face at the image but quickly rolled out from under Impulse and onto her feet. "Well, he's just going to have to learn what happens to cowards who take cheap shots then, won't he?" she asked, her tone deceptively pleasant.

Impulse chuckled and moved to get up when his right arm refused to bare his weight and collapsed under him. He let out a sharp hiss as pain lanced through his arm, burning hottest at his shoulder. A quick glance down confirmed his suspicions; the bullet meant for Artemis had torn through his shoulder instead and already a dark patch of red was beginning to decorate the fabric around the wound.

"Impulse?" Artemis asked, hearing his hiss.

"I'm fine," he reassured her quickly. "Just shoot that guy already and let's get out of here, yeah?"

Artemis didn't like the strain she heard in her friend's voice, but decided that turning her back on a man with a gun would not be the brightest of ideas at the moment. Instead, she quickly scooped up her bow and nocked an arrow, its metal point gleaming under the florescent lighting, and aimed right for the now nervous looking leader. "You know," she began idly. "Most people say that anyone who would shoot someone in the back is nothing more than a pathetic coward that can't do anything for himself. I happen to agree with those people and I believe wholeheartedly that people like that shouldn't be allowed to pass on their genes to the next generation. No need to spread the genes of a pathetic coward, right?"

Rat-Face didn't reply, though he gulped nervously as his eyes stayed glued to the shining deadly point of the arrow trained tight on him.

"Stop toying with him Artemis," Impulse said with a dark chuckle. "I think if you keep it up he'll just pass out and where's the fun in that?"

"You're right I guess," Artemis agreed with a dark smirk on her lips. "It won't do any good to let him off easy." With that, she let her arrow fly and watched as it slammed home into the man's shoulder before a spark of electricity arched down the shaft, through the arrowhead, and quickly spreading through the man's body, dropping him unconscious and foaming at the mouth to the ground. "Serves you right prick," Artemis hissed at him.

"Nice shot," Impulse said. "Now, do you mind giving me a hand?"

Artemis turned around to see Impulse leaning against a crate, his left hand pressed over his right shoulder, and blood squeezing its way between his fingers. "Wally!" she exclaimed, not at all worried about using his real name now that they were the only ones still conscious. "What happened?" she asked as she dashed back over to him.

Wally shrugged his uninjured left shoulder. "The bullet meant for you hit me instead," he answered. "As far as I can tell it went cleanly through and I don't think it hit any bone. It's not fatal and it'll probably be healed by the time I wake up tomorrow, but for now it hurts like hell and I'm thinking cleaning it and bandaging it wouldn't be such a bad idea."

Artemis nodded and quickly slung her bow across her back before she slung Wally's left arm across her shoulders. "The substation's not too far from here; we've got some antiseptic and bandages there. Think you can make it that far?"

Wally grit his teeth as a fresh wave of pain traveled through his arm while Artemis hauled him to his feet. "I'll manage," he replied. He tried to smile softly and reassuringly when he saw the look on Artemis' face. "Hey, come on, it's not that bad. It didn't hit anything important and we're both still alive. Realistically speaking, something like this had to happen sometime from doing what we do."

"I know," Artemis said with a sigh. "But that doesn't mean I have to like seeing you hurt."

"I'd be worried if you did," Wally retorted teasingly. "Now let's get out of here, get me bandaged up, and then back to Gotham Academy before anyone's the wiser."

Had either of them actually been paying attention, they might have noticed that they weren't alone in the building. As it was, however, they were more focused on getting back than on paying attention to their surroundings.

"Well?" a boy's voice asked once Artemis and Wally had left the building. "What do you guys think?"

"They do fight well together and separately when forced to do so," another boy's voice answered, though this one sounded a few years older than the first. "Though I do not know, Robin, they seemed a bit…feral, for lack of a better word, when they fought."

"Bats thinks that some formal training will work that out of them," Robin replied. "Besides Aqualad, we can all get a little wild in a fight sometimes."

"Not like that," a third boy's voice said. "At the end there the girl was toying with the guy and the boy was encouraging it and both of them looked like they were enjoying it."

"Superboy's right," a girl's voice added. "Besides, you said earlier that neither of them are particularly endeared to the Justice League or even just superheroes in general. What makes you think they'll even want to join our team?"

"We'll just have to wait and see Miss M," Robin said with a shrug. "I still think that they'd be an asset to our team, given what they can do and what their powers are. But if you guys don't want them we don't have to ask."

"No," Miss Martian said. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just worried they might resent us if we extend the offer and they turn us down, especially after they find out who we are. I do share a dorm with Artemis you know."

"And I share a dorm with Wally," Robin replied. "While Superboy and Aqualad bunk right across the hall. We're all kind of in the danger zone if this blows up in our faces, but we can't give up without trying."

"Robin is right," Aqualad chimed in. "All we can do is proceed as planned, see what happens and hope for the best. Hopefully we will soon gain two new team members in Young Justice."

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: Well, there's chapter three! Don't forget to leave me a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter or the story as a whole. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN**: Oh my gosh guys! Thanks so much for all the positive reviews and favorites! I'm so glad you like this story! Please enjoy chapter four.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Young Justice, its characters, or anything affiliated with it.

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><p>By the time Artemis was finally able to crawl beneath the sheets of her bed the glowing green numbers on the digital clock sitting on her nightstand told her it was two in the morning. She stifled a groan when she realized that classes started promptly at eight; leaving her with only five hours of sleep if she wanted to get up at seven to get ready. Where had the night gone, she wondered.<p>

She and Wally had made their way back to their substation quickly as they could and she had immediately set about treating his gunshot wound. Wally had protested, saying that he could already feel it healing, but Artemis would have none of that. She forced him to sit on one of the stools at their workbenches and promptly stripped the top part of his uniform away to get a better look at his injured shoulder. The bleeding had already slowed to a soft trickle and the wound itself had already begun to stitch itself closed but Artemis wasn't taking any chances. She poked and prodded as gently as she could to make sure the bullet hadn't broken any bones or gotten itself lodged anywhere in Wally's shoulder. As she had hoped, the bullet had torn cleanly through his shoulder and though it left an awful mess behind, it wasn't as bad as it could have been; especially with Wally's accelerated healing already taking care of most of the damage. Deciding the best thing to do would be to disinfect it and wrap it up, she set about cleaning his wound before covering it in long strips of clean white gauze.

"All right, now that you're done abusing my poor shoulder," Wally had said with a grin on his face. "I'm going to go get in my civies and then let's say we get back to school and get some sleep?"

Both of them had changed as quickly as they could and made their way back to where they had stashed their motorcycles. The drive back to Gotham Academy took about forty minutes and it took another twenty to find a good place to hide their bikes. They ended up hiding them in an empty shed on the outskirts of the campus, making sure to cover them with a dull green tarp they had found crumpled up in the corner of the shed. Then, after a quick goodnight, the pair dragged themselves back to their dorms to crash for what was left of the night.

When Wally's alarm blared out at seven that morning he let out a tired moan and slung an arm across his eyes. He contemplated hitting the snooze button and catching ten more minutes of sleep, maybe even skip breakfast that morning, but thought better of it when his stomach protested loudly to be fed. With a sigh he reached over and cut short the incessant beeping noise before swinging his legs over the side of his bed. He stood as he shot a nasty glare at the bright green numbers on his clock and grabbed a pair of clean boxers before marching off to the bathroom. As he entered the living room he was surprised to see Grayson already awake and dressed and typing away at his laptop.

"Morning," Richard greeted cheerfully. Too cheerfully for Wally's tastes; he had never been much of a morning person and these late nights only added to that problem.

"Uh, morning," Wally replied anyway. "How long you been awake?"

"Since five," Grayson replied.

Wally looked downright flabbergasted. "You woke up at five, in the morning, willingly?" he asked incredulously. "Are you even human?"

Grayson fixed him with a slightly amused stare. "Well, not all of us sleep the day away if we get the chance," he said. "Besides," he continued with a shrug. "I had some stuff to look over for the student council before the meeting this afternoon. I figured now was as good a time as any."

Wally shook his head. "You're crazy, Grayson. If people were meant to be up before the sun we'd be able to see much better in the dark."

"Dick," Grayson said suddenly, not looking up from his computer.

"Excuse me?" Wally asked, suddenly angry.

"My name," Dick qualified. "You don't need to call me by my last name; you can call me Dick if you want." He shrugged. "Everyone else does."

"Oh, uh sure," Wally responded. "Um, you can just call me Wally then. I don't usually go by my full first name either."

"Sure," Dick said, his eyes still on his computer screen. "Oh, before I forget, Conner and Kaldur are stopping by before breakfast. We figured we'd all walk down together. That cool with you?"

"Yeah, sure," Wally said, trying to think around the sleep still clinging to his brain. "Um, I'm gonna go grab a shower then, before they get here."

Dick just nodded and waved him in the direction of the bathroom, clearly dismissing him. Wally thought he might be more offended by the gesture if the whole morning hadn't been so weird already and if he could actually think straight at the moment. By the time he got to the bathroom and peeled away the t-shirt he wore to bed he saw that the bullet wound on his shoulder had mostly closed up during the night, leaving behind an angry red patch of skin that was still tender to the touch. He rolled his shoulder a bit and found that it still hurt if he moved it, but at least it wasn't too stiff. Deciding just to leave the bandages off, he quickly jumped in the shower and went about his usual morning routine. Twenty minutes later he was heading towards the student dining hall with Dick, Conner, and Kaldur.

When they got to the cafeteria, Conner made a beeline right for Megan, leaving the other three boys behind. Wally made a scan across the room, looking for a familiar blonde head, but couldn't see her anywhere.

"Dude, I swear he can't be away from her for like two minutes sometimes," Dick said with a snicker.

"Of course he can be away from her for two minutes," Kaldur replied. "I share a dorm with him. He just becomes silent and moody when he is not with her," he said with a smile. "Well, more so than usual anyway."

Dick laughed at that. "I didn't think it was possible for Mr. Dark and Brooding to get even more depressing. Apparently I stand corrected."

"So, Wallace, do you play any sports?" Kaldur asked Wally suddenly, breaking him out of his second scan of the cafeteria.

"Just Wally," he replied automatically before he shrugged. "And no, not really. I'm not exactly the athletic type." Dick and Kaldur seemed to share a look at that, but Wally was too focused on finding Artemis that he didn't really register it. "Hey, do either of you see Artemis at all?"

Both Kaldur and Dick scanned the room once before they shook their heads. "No, but maybe Megan knows where she is," Dick replied.

The three of them made their way over to the table Conner and Megan had saved for the group.

"Good morning everyone," Megan chirped as they took their seats. "I hope you all slept quite well."

Wally muttered something under his breath about being surrounded by peppy morning people while Dick and Kaldur responded to the greeting. "Hey, Megan," Wally began. "Do you know where Artemis is? I haven't seen her yet this morning."

Megan's face fell from bright and smiling to concerned with a speed that might have rivaled Wally himself. "She was still asleep when I left. Do you think perhaps that she is sick? Should I go check on her?"

Wally chuckled to himself as he stood from the table. "No, I'll go get her," he said. "See you guys later." He jogged out of the cafeteria and pulled out his cellphone to let Artemis know he was on his way.

_Hey, Sleeping Beauty, time to get up! I'll be there in five and since I can't get in I expect you to be there to let me in._

_Wally_

_1/08/11 7:45am_

Artemis felt her phone buzz against her leg from its place in one of her skirt pockets. She quickly spit her toothpaste out and rinsed what was left in her mouth before fishing out the little piece of plastic and flipping it open. She rolled her eyes at the message from Wally, but picked up the pace as she finished getting ready for the day. She was dead tired and wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed, but she knew Wally would come hunt her down if she didn't meet him outside the dorms. She quickly grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder before she left the suite without a glance back.

Wally was waiting for her by the time she exited the dorm building. He had left his white button-up shirt untucked so it pocked out beneath the sweater-vest and hung over the top of his slacks, the top two buttons undone, and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck. His hair was still slightly mused from sleep, but it really just added to his air of detached aloofness. Despite her exhaustion, Artemis managed to smile at him as he waved at her.

"About time," he said teasingly before the smile dropped from his face and a frown took its place. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you look like hell."

If anyone else had said that to her she would have decked them, regardless of whether or not it was true. As it was, she knew Wally only said it out of concern, and she knew she looked terrible. She had left her shirt untucked, much the same way Wally had, though she had buttoned her shirt up and tied her tie correctly. In an effort to get more sleep, Artemis had decided to forego breakfast that morning, but she had slept longer than she had meant to. She had time to brush her teeth and apply her makeup, but her hair had only been combed quickly before she tugged it into a hasty ponytail. "I know," she grumbled in response. "I didn't get much sleep last night. Little Miss Sunshine gets up at the crack of dawn apparently and doesn't know how to get ready for the day quietly. I got maybe two and a half hours of sleep. I'm pretty much dead on my feet right now."

Wally's frown deepened before he grabbed her bag from her, dug around for a bit, and pulled out the brush she always kept handy. Without a word he passed her bag and his own back to her and moved behind her. He gently tugged her hair tie loose and ran the brush through her hair a few times before pulling it up into a much neater ponytail. "There," he said. "That looks much better."

Artemis took her brush back from Wally's outstretched hand and smirked at him. "You know, you might want to be careful, someone might think you're gay," she said with a wink. She laughed as Wally just rolled his eyes. She tried to hand his bag back to him but he shook his head and walked around her to stand in front of her. Curious and confused, she watched as he turned his back to her and crouched low.

"Well?" he asked with a look over his shoulder. "You going to get on or what?"

Smiling in realization she swung both of their bags over her shoulder and climbed on to Wally's back. He hooked his arms under her knees and stood as easily as if she was weightless. "Just so you know, this is a onetime thing," he told her. "I'm only doing this cause you're so tired."

"Uh-huh," Artemis mumbled sleepily. She had already dropped her head to his shoulder and closed her eyes for a few more minutes while Wally piggybacked her to class. "You and I both know that's a lie."

Wally chuckled. "Maybe," he conceded.

Artemis snorted lightly, but hugged him tighter for a moment. "Thanks," she mumbled.

One of Wally's hands squeezed one of her knees. "Anytime," he replied. "You know that."

They ended up getting to their first class just as the bell rang. A few of the students shot them curious looks as Wally walked in with Artemis still on his back. Ignoring the whispers and stares, he set her down, took his bag from her, and they both reported to the teacher. He was an older man, with thin graying hair, and thick-rimmed glasses hiding his eyes. He sat behind his desk, littered with papers, in a tweed sportscoat and fading brown slacks. He looked up at the pair with watery eyes as they approached. "So, you are my new students?" he asked in a bland and emotionless tone. He gestured to the front of the classroom. "Introduce yourselves before I start class then."

Wally and Artemis exchanged a look before he shrugged and slouched his way to the front of the classroom. He faced the class, hands in his pockets, and a lazy grin on his face that, as usual, didn't quite reach his eyes. "Wally West," he greeted the rest of the students with a slight nod in their direction.

_I suppose he kind of does look a bit hot like that_, Artemis found herself thinking. _It's the just rolled out of bed and got dressed look_. With a quick glance out at the students she rolled her eyes. _Which is probably why half the girls are staring at him vacantly and the other half are watching me suspiciously_, she added. "I'm Artemis Crock," she said aloud. "Nice to meet you."

The teacher stood from his desk with a nod of his head. "Yes, well, time to begin class. You two will find spare textbooks in the cabinet back there. I believe there are two empty seats in the back. Sit down and turn to page 250. We will be discussing the exploration of the American West this week."

Wally and Artemis made their way to the back of the class, located two desks next to each other, and grabbed their copies of the textbook. It didn't take long for them to decide to check out of class. Their teacher droned on and on in stereotypical fashion; he didn't even look at the class once in favor of writing on the board the entire time. Artemis ripped a blank page from her notebook and scribbled down a few lines before passing it on to Wally.

_Remind you of Mrs. Gertrude at all? Seriously, is it a requirement that all history teachers be dry and boring?_

_Haha! Probably. At least we've already covered this stuff though. We can tune out for this week at least._

_True. So, looks like you've got your pick at this school too?_

_Huh?_

_The girls were all staring at you when we walked in._

_Oh. Meh, whatever. Let them stare. I really could care less_.

Artemis rolled her eyes at the note as a smile spread across her face. _Same old Wally_, she thought.

They continued to pass notes back and forth the entire period before the bell rang signaling the end of the class. Wally quickly packed his notebook and textbook into his bag and turned to Artemis. "So, what's next on our schedule?" he asked.

"Hang on," she replied as she packed away her own materials before digging a single piece of paper from her bag. "Looks like we've got AP Algebra II and then," she paused and laughed. "Then we've got Chemistry," she managed after forcing herself to calm down.

"What?" Wally said as he grabbed the paper from her hand. "Just Chemistry? Not even AP Chem?" He quickly scanned the paper and let out a groan. "I'm going to be so bored," he complained.

Artemis snatched the schedule back from Wally and shoved it into her bag. "I'm sure you'll survive," she teased. "And if not, you wouldn't mind if I took apart your bike and rebuilt it, right?"

Wally shot her a look and rolled his eyes. "Some people's friends," he sighed. "Remind me again why I hang out with you?"

"Because I'm your best friend and about the only person on the planet that can put up with you, most days," she replied with a grin.

Wally just chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, right, that's why." He slung his bag up onto his injured shoulder and winced. "Ouch," he hissed.

Artemis turned to him, a worried frown tugging at her lips. "Your shoulder still?" she asked, concerned. "How bad?" She took a step towards him but he waved her off.

"Just a very angry looking bruise really," Wally answered. "The wound itself is closed, but it still stings if I put too much pressure on it."

Artemis nodded once, but continued to look him over. "Is that really it?"

Wally rolled his eyes, but smiled at her. "Come on Arty," he said lightly. "You know I wouldn't lie to you; I'd be a walking bruise if I did and you found out. Besides," he added with a careless shrug. "You always know when I'm lying anyway. Now, let's get on with our first day in a new hell, I mean school," he said with a grin.

Artemis smiled back and followed Wally from the classroom.

The rest of their day became a blur of boring classes and attempts to keep themselves amused. Wally decided to fully check out in Chemistry and listen to music on his mp3 player instead. He had cleverly threaded his earbuds up through one of his shirt sleeves so the earbud rested against his palm. He could now rest his head on his hand and listen to music at the same without the teacher being any wiser. Lunch came and went fairly quietly, with the exception of their roommates coming to join them halfway through the period.

"So," Megan began cheerfully. "Are you enjoying your first day here?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Artemis replied around a bite of her sandwich. "It's, uh, great."

"I'm so glad," Megan said with a bright smile. "I know it can be difficult to transfer to a new school after the year has already started. It's great that you're adjusting smoothly."

"Yeah," Artemis said. "Sure. Though it's only the first day."

"Hey, is Wally okay?" Dick asked as he came to sit down at the table across from the red-head. "He's not moving."

Artemis glanced over at her best friend seated next to her and smiled fondly for a moment. Wally had pushed his tray, piled high with wrappers and dishes from his large lunch, towards the center of the table before resting his head on his crossed arms. "Yeah, he's fine," she replied. "He always grabs a quick nap after he eats lunch. It has something to do with his metabolism I guess. He gets sleepier right after he's eaten than most people."

Dick nodded his understanding before standing up to wave Conner and Kaldur over to the table. Artemis spent the rest of lunch half listening to the conversations going on around her and envying Wally's ability to fall asleep just about anywhere, no matter how loud it was.

Finally the weekend came and Wally and Artemis wasted no time in getting out of Gotham Academy. As soon as classes let out Friday afternoon they had dashed back to their dorms and packed their bags for the weekend. They met up at the abandoned shed, started up their bikes, and slipped off campus as fast as they could.

"Well, one week down; about two and a half years left to go," Artemis said over the comm-link in her helmet.

Wally laughed even as he sped around a slow car on the freeway, Artemis right behind him. "We survived though," he pointed out.

"Ugh, barely," Artemis replied. "I swear, if I have one more girl ask me if you're dating anyone or for your number I'm going to flip."

"Girls have been asking for my number?" Wally asked with a groan. "Seriously? Don't they get I'm not interested?"

"Oh, they get it," Artemis said. "They just think it's an act so they've been coming to me instead once they figured out we're best friends."

"What have you been telling them?" Wally asked.

"Same as always," Artemis replied with a shrug. "Your number is 438-2368." (AN: that spells out Get Bent)

Wally laughed. "What would I do without you Arty; you've always got my back."

"If you keep calling me Arty you'll find out," she said as she pulled up next to him. "Race you home," she added before she shot ahead of him.

"Hey!" Wally called as he gunned his engine after her. "Dude, come on! At least play fair!"

Artemis laughed over the comm-link. "Never fight fair!" she called back to him teasingly. "I'm thinking pizza and a movie this time. Or maybe I'll just have you do all my Chem homework for me."

Wally managed to catch up and pull up beside Artemis on the freeway. "I already so all your Chem homework for you," he reminded her. "Besides," he continued and Artemis could just hear the smirk in his voice. "Don't you think you're being just a little overconfident? You usually lose when we race. I'm the one with the mad biking skills." Without another word Wally shot forward, looking back once to give Artemis a mock salute as he sped back to Central Gotham.

The rest of their Friday passed uneventfully, except maybe their brief argument over who actually won the race home. As night began to fall they both found themselves getting antsy to be out on the streets again. As always they waited for their mothers to fall asleep before sneaking out of the apartment and to their substation.

"So what's on the radar tonight?" Wally asked. He and Artemis were staked out on a rooftop, surveying the streets below. "See anything?"

"I think I see two teenagers I told to get off the streets," a gravelly voice said.

Wally and Artemis sighed in unison and turned around to face Batman. "And we told you we weren't leaving as long as this city needs us," Artemis hissed back. "Besides, I really don't think you have the right to tell us what to do. Gotham is still a free city; at least as long as the mob is kept from power."

"I don't see your sidekick anywhere," Wally added. "What, the Boy Wonder get sick of you too?"

Batman eyed the teens in front of him. "He's busy with his team," he said at last. "If you two insist on doing this, there will be rules to follow."

"Rules?" Wally asked incredulously. "And how do you figure that? We don't work for the League. Hell, we don't even work _with_ the League."

"And I doubt there's anything you can ever say that'll make us change our minds," Artemis added as she crossed her arms across her chest. "We want nothing to do with you or the League."

"We'll see about that," Batman said as he turned towards the shadows. "Things have a way of changing on you." Without another word he disappeared into the shadows.

"Things have a way of changing on you," Wally mocked with a scoff. "Yeah, whatever."

"I don't know, Wally," Artemis said. "Batman never threatens idly. Still," she added with a glare towards the shadows Batman had left in. "Who does he think he is?"

"We'll figure this out later," Wally sighed. "For now, let's just find a way to blow off some steam, huh?"

"Way ahead of you," Artemis replied, already scanning the streets. "We can sleep in tomorrow so I say we stay out till we're too tired to move."

Wally walked up next to her and slung an arm across her shoulders. "I like the way you think," he said grinning his manic grin.

An answering grin spread across Artemis' face as she pointed out a burglary of a local pawn shop taking place. "Petty theft," she said. "But it's a good start for the night." She ducked out beneath Impulse's arm and dropped over the side of the building onto the fire escape, Impulse right behind her.

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><p><strong>AN 2<strong>: All right, chapter four. Don't forget to leave a review, please and thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN**: Hey guys, I'm so sorry it's been so long! I had my college graduation and then my mom was in the hospital; it's been a very busy month. I hope you'll forgive me for being away for so long. Now that all of the craziness is over I can hopefully spend more time on my stories. Thank you all for the reviews and favorites. Please enjoy chapter five and don't forget to drop a review when you're done! :D

**Disclaimer**: In no way, shape, or form do I own Young Justice or any of its characters.

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><p>After about two week of looking over their shoulders, Wally and Artemis decided that perhaps Batman's threats had been empty. They hadn't seen him, Robin, or anyone else from the League while out on their nightly patrols and had quickly grown complacent. Things had been running rather smoothly for them as a matter of fact. Though they had longer to travel in and out of Gotham Central every night, they managed to maintain their double life and keep up their grades in the process. All in all, they had dropped their guard and were therefore wholly unprepared for what came next.<p>

"So, you're both going on the school trip next week, right?" Dick asked as he and Wally sat in their living room on a Thursday night. Both boys had long since finished their homework and had decided to relax and watch TV.

"Dunno," Wally answered with a shrug. "Probably not. Artemis and I don't really do school trips." He didn't ask who else Dick had meant; it seemed everyone in this school already recognized them as attached at the hip as well.

"Why not? It's school wide and everyone else is going. Who wouldn't want to spend a week at the beach?" Dick asked incredulously.

"You forget Arty and I are here on scholarship," Wally said with a rueful smile. "We can't afford to go." Plus, he added silently. There's no way in hell we'd leave the streets unguarded that long.

"But the trip is part of tuition," Dick announced. "Everyone pays for it when they pay for their school year so your scholarship covered it. All you two would need to bring is spending money if you want any souvenirs."

"Oh, uh, really? Maybe we will then. Our moms kinda like us coming home every weekend though," Wally added in hopes of getting the younger boy to drop it.

"Ask them when you go home tomorrow," Dick insisted. "The rest of us are going and we all thought it would be fun to hang out together."

"We'll see," Wally replied as he turned back to the television, effectively ending their conversation.

"Ugh," Artemis groaned over their comm-link in their helmets as they rode their bikes home the following afternoon. "She just wouldn't drop it no matter how many times I said I'd think about it."

"The school trip next week?" Wally guessed. "Dick was pretty much the same with me last night. I tried to throw him off but he wouldn't leave me alone until I said we'd talk to our mothers about it." He rolled his eyes, though Artemis couldn't see him.

"Like that'll happen," she scoffed. "Why these people feel the need to take off during Spring Break is beyond me. Besides, it's not like our mothers will say yes anyway. I say we avoid mentioning it and just leave it alone."

"Works for me," Wally agreed.

Of course that plan went about as well as setting loose a herd of angry buffalo in a glassworks shop and expecting nothing to be broken. It turned out that their mothers already knew of the trip because _of course_ the school had to send home permission slips to be filled out, signed, and returned on the day of the trip. The best part had to have been their mothers waiting at home for them after school on Friday, ready to take them shopping for the necessary supplies.

"Oh, you two will have so much fun!" Wally's mother gushed as she and Artemis' mother dragged the pair around the local superstore. "Of course, you'll both need new swimsuits and we better get you each a first aid kit, just in case."

"How is it our mothers are more excited about these things than we are?" Artemis asked as she shuffled her feet along next to her best friend. "I feel like we swapped roles with them or something."

Wally shrugged and released a long sigh. "I can't believe they're making us go," he added. "How did we even get tricked into agreeing to this anyway?"

"We weren't tricked," Artemis reminded him. "We were guilt tripped and threatened because, and I quote, 'We just want you two to have the chance to make good, honest friends in your new school,'" she finished in a passable imitation of her mother's voice.

"Ah, right," Wally nodded. "And then my mother pulled out the tears, how could I forget."

Both teens sighed and lamented the fact that their mothers knew just what buttons to push and tricks to use to get them to agree to anything as they were pulled by their overeager mothers around the store.

By Monday morning the two teens were almost ready to get away from their gushing mothers and go on the trip with the rest of Gotham Academy. They might have been more excited about leaving for the week if they weren't awakened at five in the morning in order to get back to school grounds and catch the bus in time.

"This is ridiculous," Artemis grumbled for the umpteenth time that morning. "No one wants to be up this early." She paused for a moment, lost in thought. "Except maybe my psychotic roommate," she added.

"Well, we are going to the Florida Keys for this trip," Wally said. "It's about a ten hour drive from where we are."

Artemis gave Wally a disgruntled look. "Please tell me you're not turning into one of them," she begged. "I don't think I could handle it if my best friend turned into a morning person."

"Hell no!" Wally exclaimed. "But I figure we can just claim a couple seats in the back and sleep the whole trip. Easy solution to having to get up at the crack of dawn," he said with a sleepy grin.

Artemis smiled back and nodded. "I like the way you think. I'm letting you know now though, you're going to be my pillow."

Wally rolled his eyes, but the grin did not leave his face as he slung an arm across Artemis' shoulders. "Aren't I always?" he asked. "I know now to just pack a pillow for myself for long car rides since you inevitably fall asleep on my shoulder or something."

"Oh good," Artemis replied as her grin stretched and became a bit more mischievous. "It looks like I finally have you trained right."

Too tired to actually think up a witty reply, Wally settled for the age-old classic of sticking his tongue out at his best friend. Of course that only left him open for Artemis to giggle and tease him further about regressing back to second grade.

The pair made it to Gotham Academy grounds and found they were among the first students there. They helped their mothers haul their luggage from the trunk of the car and set it on the curb before being subjected to bone crushing hugs and well wishes and safe journeys for their trip. After they managed to pull themselves from their mothers' grips they waved good-bye and joined their luggage on the curb. As luck would have it, though Artemis might have called it something else this early in the morning, Dick, Megan, Conner, and Kaldur came walking up to the pair only a couple minutes later.

"Oh aren't you two just so excited!" Megan exclaimed as Artemis shot the girl a dark look before letting her head fall on Wally's shoulder, muttering dark curses all the while. "We get to spend the whole week together on the beach! I'm sure we'll have such an amazing time!"

"Uh-huh, I'm sure we will," Wally mumbled sleepily as he ran a hand up and down Artemis' back.

"Is she all right?" Megan asked; suddenly concerned as her peppy morning face disappeared. "Artemis? Are you feeling well?"

Artemis mumbled something too low for anyone to hear and snuggled closer into Wally. Wally chuckled in response and hugged her closer to his side. "She's fine," he answered. "She's just not a morning person. It's probably best to just let her sleep on the trip out."

"Oh poor thing," Megan said. "Does she need a pillow or blanket? I do have extras."

"Nah," Wally replied, a light smile on his face as he looked down at the girl resting on his shoulder. "That's what I'm here for. Besides, I'm probably going to join her as soon as we get on the bus."

The four other teens nodded and remained silent while they waited for the buses to arrive. Slowly but surely, the other students participating in the trip trickled onto campus. Finally, at about six thirty in the morning five coach buses pulled up in front of the school. Dick shook Wally and Artemis awake long enough to throw their bags into the storage areas beneath the bus, climb up the narrow steps and claim two seats in the back before going right back to sleep. Dick, Kaldur, Conner and Megan watched as Wally took a window seat and made himself comfortable before letting Artemis take the seat next to him and once again use him as a pillow.

"Isn't that so sweet!" Megan gushed quietly while the other four teens claimed seats around their sleeping friends. "Those two are so close; it's absolutely adorable!"

The three males of the group still awake regarded the other girl for a moment before looking back over at the sleeping pair. The three of them shrugged in unison and turned their attention away, pulling out their mp3 players as they did so.

A ten hour bus ride later deposited the students of Gotham Academy in front of a rather large hotel in the Florida Keys. Wally had woken up halfway through the ride though Artemis continued to sleep all but the last hour. He kept himself entertained by pulling out his ipod and playing Cube Runner for a while before talking with Dick and Kaldur.

"All right!" one of the fieldtrip aides called as the students clamored off the buses. "Form orderly, single file lines to the aide that was assigned to your bus. There you will receive your copy of the itinerary and your room key! Once you have those items please proceed to the luggage area and pick up your bags! After that, the rest of the day is yours to do as you please!" Many cheers and shouts accompanied the end of the aide's speech as students scrambled to form a line in front of each aide.

"I say we hit our rooms, suit up and head to the beach," Dick said.

"I am up for that," Kaldur replied. "After ten hours on a bus I could do with a chance to stretch my legs."

"So it's agreed that we'll all meet in the lobby as soon as we are finished," Megan cheered. "Today will be such an amazing day!"

"Gag me with a spoon," Artemis mumbled under her breath next to Wally. "How the hell does one person get all that energy anyway? I swear I've never seen her sad or upset before and it's starting to freak me out!"

Wally laid a comforting hand on Artemis' shoulder and squeezed gently. "Don't worry about it. We'll go down to the beach with them, but claim a nice spot in the sand to just chill for a while."

As it turned out, just about every other student from Gotham Academy, and all the other students and families in the Florida Keys for vacation, had the same idea as the group of six teens. The beach was crowded and noisy as children ran back and forth across the sand screaming and yelling about whatever it was children of that age yelled about. Regardless, Dick, Kaldur, Conner and Megan seemed excited to be there and wasted absolutely no time in running for the water. Wally and Artemis generously offered to take their belongings and find an empty place on the beach to set up. After a good twenty minutes of searching, stepping over disgruntled sunbathers and dodging young children and the parents chasing after them, the pair finally managed to find a large enough spot in the sand to lay out six towels and open up one extra-large beach umbrella.

Artemis had been quiet for the last half an hour or so and Wally was almost convinced she had gone back to sleep when she sat bolt upright and stared out over the water. "Artemis? You okay?" he asked. "Did you get bit by a bug or something?"

"No," the blonde girl said with a shake of her head though she kept her eyes trained on a distant patch of land further out into the ocean. "No bug." After a few tense moments with Wally watching her carefully, she finally pulled her line of sight back to him and jerked her head towards the distant island. "Something's happening over there," she said at last. "I saw a couple speed boats head over to that island with a number of men holding onto rather large guns and guarding a couple big crates."

"Any chance they're military or the Coast Guard?" Wally asked as he too looked out to sea briefly. It was a reflex really, since he knew he wouldn't see anything.

"Not unless the military is suddenly going with an all-black, definitely 'bad guy' theme lately," she responded. "I'm guessing smugglers and with the amount of fire power I saw guarding those crates, it's got to be something dangerous."

Wally nodded thoughtfully for a moment. "All right, but what do we do about it? All of our supplies are back in Gotham. We can fight hand-to-hand, but if they're as armed as you say I'd rather not push our luck."

Artemis nodded in agreement. "I've got my crossbow and about twenty bolts," she informed her partner. "But in the grand scheme of things, that's not much."

Wally looked at the girl beside him for a moment. "You brought your crossbow on vacation with you?" he asked. "Were you expecting something to happen?"

"Not necessarily," Artemis defended herself. "But it never hurts to be prepared. Besides, I saw you pack your goggles and the sneakers you modified to withstand your speed; I'd say we were both coming here prepared."

"Guilty as charged, I suppose," Wally said with a sheepish smile. "I guess after even this long on the job I've learned to be ready."

"So you up for sneaking out tonight and finding out what's going on over there?" Artemis asked.

"Of course!" Wally replied as if his answer was obvious. "Do you really even need to ask?"

Artemis smiled briefly before her expression collapsed and turned pensive. "We'll need a boat to get over there then, but the noise and size will make us obvious to any sentries they have patrolling."

"We don't need a boat," Wally said. "I can easily run us across the water to that island."

"Won't that tire you out though?" Artemis asked. "I don't want you operating below your best on this, especially since we're kind of out of our usual element on this one."

"I'll eat a really big dinner then," Wally said before rolling his eyes when he saw the skeptical look on Artemis' face. "And I'll snack a lot for the rest of the day," he added as he reached into the bag of snacks he and Artemis had brought with them, pulling out a package of Hostess Ho-Hos and an apple. "Seriously, I'll be fine!" he protested.

"All right, fine," Artemis said with a sigh. "I just don't want you hurt again," she added with a guilty look at Wally's shoulder.

"I'll be careful," Wally promised as his face softened. "Besides, you'll be there to watch my back just like I'll watch yours; like always."

"Like always," Artemis echoed before getting down to business. "Neither of us have any masks on us so we'll just have to hope no one has heard of us outside Gotham yet. I doubt it, but it's not a possibility we can rule out completely."

"Then we treat this like a recon mission," Wally reasoned. "We'll stick to the shadows as much as possible and find out what they're doing over there. If we can hold off busting them tonight then we can just go back tomorrow night and fight them after we've had the chance to improvise some masks."

"All right," Artemis said, nodding. "That should work." She was quiet for a moment as she looked around them. "Do you want to meet tonight around eleven by those rocks over there?"

Wally followed her outstretched finger to a pile of large boulders forming a wall a little further down the beach. He nodded quickly. "Tonight at eleven then," he said, though all their talk on plans had to be put on hold as the other four teens finally joined them on the beach.

"There you two are!" Dick called as he jogged up to his towel. "We couldn't see you for a minute there and started to wonder if you'd just left us."

"Sorry man," Wally replied. "This was the only open patch of sand we could find that was big enough for all of us."

"No worries dude," Dick said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I don't think I've ever seen the beach this packed before when we've come on this trip though," he commented offhand.

"I know!" Megan agreed as she and Conner joined the other three. "I don't think it was even half this size a crowd last year."

"I think I heard someone mention some kind of festival," Conner said as he dug around in his bag. "I didn't hear any specifics though."

"Hey, where's Kaldur?" Artemis asked. "Weren't all four of you out in the ocean together?"

"He's probably still out there," Dick said with a jerk of his thumb over his shoulder. "The guy loves to be in the water. We kept telling him to try out for the swim team at school but he never has. You guys should have come out with us; the water's great," he added with a grin.

The rest of the afternoon passed peacefully and Kaldur eventually rejoined the group. The six teens spent most of the rest of the day just relaxing in the sun and talking. When the sun began to dip into the distant horizon and a chilly wind began to blow, they packed up their supplies and headed back to the hotel.

"Hey, do you all want to grab dinner together?" Dick asked as they marched back to the hotel. "There's a great pizza place just about a block away."

A few quick showers, a change of clothes and a short walk later the six teens were sitting in a plush booth eating large pieces of pizza and drinking Coke. Dinner turned out to be enjoyable, though the group was bone tired by the time they dragged themselves back to the hotel at ten o'clock that night. With only an hour to get ready before she and Wally left, Artemis had quickly dismissed herself off to bed once she was back at the hotel. She dug around her bag and pulled out the darkest clothing she could find before quietly slipping out of her room and down to the spot on the beach.

When she finally reached the pile of rocks she found Wally already there and waiting for her. She nodded her approval when she saw he was in a dark t-shirt and jeans, his goggles perched on his head and his modified sneakers on his feet. "Let's get this show on the road, yeah?" she asked as she walked towards him. "Just don't jostle me too much this time, all right?"

Wally looked up and grinned when he saw her standing there. He quickly dropped into a crouch, his back to her. "Whatever you say princess," he replied teasingly. "Hop on and I'll see what I can do."

The run across the water was surprisingly much smoother than her last trip into Gotham Central with Wally had been. In no time at all they had zoomed across the water and were coming up on the island.

"Did you hear that?" Wally asked once they came to a stop.

"Hear what?" Artemis returned distractedly as she looked around.

Wally was silent for a moment as he cocked his head to the side and listened intently. "I thought I heard a boat," he said at last. "But I guess not; I don't hear anything now," he added with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Artemis nodded and turned back to him. "Doesn't matter anyway," she said. "We're here on recon only today anyway." She pulled out her crossbow and got a bolt ready before she motioned for Wally to follow her into a nearby cave.

The pair got in easily enough and completely unnoticed as they slipped around the cave, moving further and further back. They finally ended up in a well-lit, bustling back area. Huge vats of bubbling chemicals were surrounded by men with guns and a few scientists in white coats. A few of them were talking but the pair were too far away to hear anything important.

"We need to get closer," Wally whispered as he moved from a kneeling position behind a rock to a low crouch. "I don't know about you, but I can't hear them."

Artemis nodded and moved to follow him before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Without a second thought she grabbed the hand, ducked and threw whoever was attached to it over her shoulder. She dropped low, her fist inches from the face of the person she had attacked before she fell back, wide eyed and astonished.

Wally spun around when he heard the loud thud of a body hitting the hard ground. The first thing he saw was Artemis crouching over another person before she fell back looking nervous. He was just about to leap forward onto the body when he got a good look at the person's face. "You!" he breathed. "Conner? What the hell are you doing here?"

Light footsteps could be heard coming towards them and all three heads snapped up to watch as three other figures came around the corner. Two of them were walking, one significantly shorter than the other, and the other figure, distinctly female, almost seemed to be floating.

"Superboy?" a light female voice asked. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"Fine," came Conner's rough reply as he pulled himself up. "Though I think this mission just got more complicated. Not to mention our lives."

"What? What are you talking about man?" asked a younger male voice as all three finally came into the light. "Oh, that's what you meant. Well this is…whelming."

"Kaldur?" Artemis asked. "Is that you? Megan? Why the hell are you green?" Her attention shifted back and forth for a moment before falling on the last member of the group. "And you're Dick, aren't you?" she asked finally.

"Just what the hell is going on here?" Wally demanded as he moved next to Artemis and glared at the other four teens. "Who are you all, really?" He shot the youngest boy of the group. "Well, aside from Dick apparently being Robin," he ground out.

Robin sighed once. "We're going to have a long night," he said at last. "Though if it makes you feel any better, none of us were expecting to see you out here either." He looked at the pair shrewdly. Though Wally and Artemis couldn't have known it, he sent a mental message to the rest of the team warning them from saying anything to the pair about keeping tabs on them for the last few months and to definitely keep their mouths shut about knowing about the pair's alter egos. "Just what are you doing out here and who are you yourselves? Normal civilians shouldn't know about this place or anything about what's going on."

Wally and Artemis exchanged a look. "We asked you first," she said petulantly. "I think we deserve the truth from you, all of you," she added with a glare at each of the other four teens.

"We promise to answer all of your questions," Kaldur said as placating as possible. "But here is not the best place for this conversation and the four of us have a mission to finish. If you would assist us we can finish up here and get back to the hotel to talk. Though I must ask that you be willing to answer our questions as well."

"Seems fair enough I suppose," Wally said after a glance at Artemis. "Just remember we get our questions answered first."

"Of course," Megan said. "Now shall we finish up here?"

With a quick nod the group of four quickly filled the pair in on the specifics of their mission and formulated a new plan of attack. After that was finished, all that was left was to take down the bad guys; something Wally and Artemis had come to be rather good at doing.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Once again I am so very sorry that I was away for a little while. I felt bad leaving you guys and the story, but things got rather crazy on my end for a bit. I had my college graduation and then my mom was in the hospital and ended up needing emergency surgery. I hope you all can forgive me. Now that the craziness is calming down, I should have more time to devote to this. And not to worry, I have plans for this story; oh boy do I have plans (insert maniacal laughter). As always, thank you all for your reviews and don't forget to leave a new one before clicking away from this story ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**AN**: As always, I must give a huge thank you to all of you who alerted, favorited and commented on this story (both old and new reviewers). You guys are amazing and I'm glad to know you're all enjoying this story and the characters as I portray them for its purposes. For those of you who were curious and/or wished well, my mom is doing just fine now. She's out of the hospital and back into her normal routine. Just a quick note for all of you that have expressed a concern/interest in seeing continuing tension between Young Justice/The Justice League and Wally and Artemis, don't worry, I have much planned on that front; the best has yet to come ;) Also, thank you to those reviewers who let me know about spelling/grammar errors and flow/continuity problems in certain spots; now that I am aware, I'll be on the lookout! :) Now, I do believe that this Author's Note has gone on long enough. Please enjoy chapter six and don't forget to leave a review

**Disclaimer**: Nope, still don't own Young Justice or any of its characters.

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><p>The mission turned out to go much smoother and much quicker than the Young Justice team had originally planned. Though Wally and Artemis couldn't fight out in the open, due to neither of them having masks at the moment, they provided much needed back up and proved to be a match for Robin when it came to stealth and recon. The mission itself was rather simple in nature; get in, find out what the bad guys were up to and shut it down. Getting in had proved to be quite easy and hacking into the system even easier, especially with Artemis and Robin tag teaming the system.<p>

"Looks like they're stockpiling and planning on selling some sort of chemical compound," Artemis said, not looking up from her computer screen. She had found an empty room with a computer above the warehouse floor and immediately walked in, stuck her modified USB/computer into and available port and went to work hacking the system. The rest of the team had followed her in and Robin had set up his own hacking line. The facility itself was cut into a natural cave that had been excavated. The main area was really just an open warehouse floor with offices built on platforms a good twenty feet above the cave floor. A few tunnels ran further back into the cave to various rooms the group had decided not to bother exploring, especially when Artemis had picked the lock to an empty office hidden in the back corner of the main room. The computer had been linked to the network server for the facility and as such would allow them to get all the information they needed.

"Right," Robin replied, scrolling through lines of text and code on his own wrist computer. "It's probably the Venom Formula. We'll fill you in later," he added quickly when he saw the looks Wally and Artemis slanted at him.

"Anyway," Wally said dismissively as he looked back over Artemis' shoulder at her computer screen. "Are there any vials of this formula here? If we could get a sample I'm sure I could analyze it, figure out its properties and what they intend to use it for."

"The League is already aware of their motives and they have samples to test on," Kaldur said quietly.

Wally turned around and regarded Aqualad quietly for a moment. "Yeah, well we're not part of the League, are we?" he asked, almost sneeringly, as he gestured between Artemis and himself. "By the looks of all of this they plan to sell this stuff to street gangs, our turf," he added with a sweep of his arms between the partners again. "We need to know what we're up against and we need to have a way to counteract it."

"So far no one in the League has found a way to counteract the effects of the formula," Robin chipped in, letting Wally's comments go for the moment.

Wally rolled his eyes and let his chin drop back onto Artemis' shoulder as he scanned the text with her once more. "Again, we're not part of the League. We're working with you on this purely because we want some answers, but this whole thing goes no further than that."

"Besides," Artemis said with a challenging smile as she brought up a floor map of the facility for Wally and her to study. "Do you really think you could stop us from grabbing our own sample to analyze? From what I can tell, you guys work well together, but your team is still fairly new; you're still learning to trust each other and that slows you down and affects your overall work. Wally and I don't have that problem and we don't need to waste time communicating verbal, or telepathic instructions," she added with a look at Megan who actually looked a little abashed for a moment. "We can simply act and know that the other person knows what to do. Like this for example," she said as she stood from her chair. Before any of the four official team members on Young Justice could react Wally had already swung Artemis up into his arms and zipped out of the room in a blur of red and blonde and a sudden breeze.

"Batman isn't going to like this," Superboy commented as he looked out the now open door.

"Or that we have been revealed much earlier than we had planned," Megan agreed. "And that they seem to know a bit about our abilities and weaknesses already," she added.

"Bats doesn't need to know yet," Robin said with a shrug.

"Robin, he is the Batman," Aqualad said as though it were glaringly obvious. "I doubt there is much that he does not know or is unable to find out."

"Maybe," Robin conceded. "But you forget that I work with him so I know a lot of his tricks."

"A lot, yes," Superboy said. "But you don't know all of them."

"True, but he can't find out what no one tells him," Robin pointed out. "If we all agree to keep it secret then he won't necessarily find out…probably."

Both Aqualad and Superboy opened their mouths to comment but Megan beat them to it. "That's all well and good," she said. "But what about Wally and Artemis?"

"What about us?" Artemis asked as she and Wally came zipping back into the room. "You know, I don't know how I feel about you talking about us when we're not around," she said as she slid out of Wally's arms.

"Don't worry," Megan quickly tried to reassure the other girl. "It was nothing bad and we were really only discussing how we would report back about our mission."

"That may be the truth," Wally said with a shrug. "But let's just assume that Artemis and I have some underlying problems with people like you and your group."

"Not to mention some basic trust issues," Artemis agreed, folding her arms across her chest and standing close to her partner and best friend. "Especially when meeting people who make it a habit of lying and concealing the truth on a daily basis."

"Chill, chill," Robin said as he raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "We were just trying to figure out what to tell our higher ups, like Megan said. We really don't want them to know about you guys and I'm pretty sure you'd rather fly under the radar on this one as well." He paused for a moment and frowned. "Didn't you guys go to retrieve a vial of the Venom Formula?" he asked. He had looked over Wally and Artemis subtly but he couldn't find any tell-tale signs of either of them having anything more than what they had when they came in.

"Maybe," Wally replied dismissively as he shrugged. "I don't see how that really concerns you," he added. "Though if it's all the same to you, we'd rather that it didn't get spread around the League that we worked with you on this one. We don't want any of them getting the idea that we'd be willing to do this again."

"Right, of course," Aqualad replied. "We will be sure not to spread your involvement."

Artemis was about to say something in return when Superboy made a low warning sound as he looked out the door. "Time to get to work," he said shortly. "We're about to have some company."

"Well, then let's get to it," Robin said. "All we've got left is to shut all of this down anyway."

Vicious grins spread across the faces of Wally and Artemis as they got ready to fight. Wally cracked his knuckles and loosened his muscles as best he could while Artemis made sure her crossbow was ready and her bolts were within easy reach. "You ready for this?" Wally asked; a dark glee lighting up his eyes and making them look an almost acidic green.

"Always," Artemis answered; her calm gray eyes now stormy and filled with almost sadistic excitement. "Not our usual turf or our usual bunch of pathetic losers, but I think these guys will fall just as nicely."

"My thoughts exactly," Wally chuckled darkly.

"One thing," Robin cut in. "It might be best if you two stayed out of sight as best you can. I'm not saying that you can't fight," he added quickly when he saw the objections begin to form in the pairs' eyes. "I'm just saying to fight carefully. These guys don't know who you are and that's probably best for the both of you since your just solo, small time fighters. You don't have much to back you up if they find out your identities."

Both Wally and Artemis rolled their eyes but could see the logic in Robin's statement. "Yeah, yeah, we'll be careful," they replied offhandedly.

The six teens immediately shot out of the room, taking the guards by surprise and started up an all-out melee. Artemis had been able to stay hidden among the shadows of the ceiling support beams and pick off guards and soldiers. After every few shots she would get up and run through the shadows of the ceiling to another spot before going back to her task of shooting down anyone in her sights. Wally, being without any sort of projectile weapon favored moving at super speed, literally running circles around anyone that came at him. He relied on his martial arts skills and mowed down his fair share of baddies. Superboy and Aqualad, being the powerhouses they are, ran right into the melee, throwing punches and using his water bearers (in the case of Aqualad). Megan, not being the strongest fighter physically, used her psychic abilities to float and wage mental war on her opponents. Robin had disappeared at the beginning of the fight, though the questions surrounding his whereabouts were soon answered as he came running out from one of the side tunnels.

"Charges are set," he called. "Time to get out of here!"

The teens quickly fought off the last few people in their way before making a mad dash for the exit. Artemis ran lightly along the support beams until she found herself coming up on a rock wall. She would have to get down, she realized, but she couldn't turn around and go back the way she had come up; it would take too much time, and she couldn't see any viable way to the main floor from her current position. She looked down to see Wally standing below her, his arms outstretched to her. She smiled slightly and stepped off the beam without a second thought. She knew Wally would catch her and, though her stomach decided to take a vacation up near her heart, she was not the least bit nervous. She fell right into Wally's open arms and felt him take off for the exit.

"Nice catch," she called teasingly to him over the wind whistling past their ears while he ran.

"Of course! This is me we're talking about," Wally replied with a grin. "Was there ever any doubt I'd catch you?"

"None at all," Artemis replied with a genuine smile. "I wouldn't have jumped if there were any doubts."

Wally didn't answer, but he looked down briefly for a moment and really smiled at her in reply.

With Wally running it made sense that he and Artemis were the first to make it to the beach outside the cave. He gently placed the girl in his arms onto the sand before he doubled over and breathed deeply for a few moments.

"Wally?" Artemis asked with a concerned frown. She had never seen him out of breath before and it worried her. "Are you okay?"

Wally nodded once and took another deep breath of air. "Yeah, just out of juice," he replied as he straightened up. "I used up a lot of energy getting us here and then all the fighting in there took a lot out of me as well," he added as he jerked a thumb back the way they had come.

Artemis nodded in understanding. "Do you have enough energy to get us back?" she asked.

"Maybe, I don't know," Wally replied honestly. "If I was wearing my suit, I'd say yes cause I've got some energy bars stashed in those cupboards on my wrists. But in my civvies? Without anything to recharge a bit?" he said as he shook his head. "I can't really tell for sure. We can give it a shot if you want though," he added.

Artemis looked out over the water and back at Wally. "I don't want to push you," she started apologetically. "But I don't know what else we can do."

"Why not ride back to shore with us?" Megan chirped as the other four teens came running out of the cave to stop next to Wally and Artemis. "We definitely have room for the two of you in our boat."

Wally and Artemis exchanged a quick glance. On the one hand, they weren't thrilled with the idea of having to be around the junior heroes any longer than strictly necessary. On the other hand, Wally knew he'd need some serious sleep and a large breakfast to recharge the energy he had lost over the course of the night. Another run back across the open ocean, no matter how brief it was, would only add to the problem. Although, the pair reasoned, the four teens owed them answers and riding back with them may provide a good way to make sure than none of them try and wiggle out of the agreement; you could never be too sure with these heroes, they both knew. They may be the self-proclaimed "good guys", but that didn't mean they weren't opposed to lying and bargaining favors they had no intention of keeping later just to complete a mission.

"All right," Artemis replied after a long pause. "We'll ride back to shore with you. Where's your boat?"

"Over this way," Robin said as he led the way. "We found a protected cove and thought it the best place to hide the speedboat."

Wally and Artemis hung back a bit from the group of four, Artemis making sure to stick close to Wally's side in case he ended up needing her help. Though he stumbled a bit at one point, Wally managed to walk himself to the boat and climb in.

"I realize we'll all be pretty tired tonight," he began after the six of them had settled in the boat but before the engine had been started up. "But don't forget that you still owe Artemis and me answers to our questions."

Aqualad nodded in reply while Robin made his way to the steering wheel and turned the ignition key. "Yes," he said over the roar of the engine. "And I promise we will answer them. Just as I am sure you will answer ours."

Artemis and Wally looked at each other for a moment. They had forgotten, in the midst of all that was going on, that they had promised to answer the other four teens' questions. _No turning back now_, Artemis told him with her eyes.

_Guess we'll just have to see where this goes and hope it ends up in our favor_, Wally responded through a simple shrug.

The ride back turned out to be a quite affair, aside from the noise accompanying driving a boat, of course. Wally had decided to reverse the usual order of things and used Artemis' shoulder as a pillow as he dozed. Artemis remained awake, one of them had to, she thought, though she did allow herself to space out and stare out across the dark water. Though the boat churned the water around them to a foamy white, further out she could see the stars reflected in the calm, dark waters. In the distance, she could see the lights of the town they were staying in glow brightly against the dark skies all around.

Before long, Robin guided the boat into an obscure dock far from any densely inhabited area. "This is where we split ways," he said as the six teens scrambled out of the boat. "You and Wally can pass as two teenagers out for a night walk or something, but the four of us are a bit more obvious," he added as the four members of Young Justice started on their own way back to the hotel.

"Will we see you at breakfast?" Megan asked cheerily.

"As long as this hotel has enough in it to get me recharged, yeah," Wally responded.

"Though we're not going to be there as early as you usually seem to get up," Artemis warned. "The two of us need our sleep."

"Of course, of course," Megan nodded enthusiastically. "Just do not forget we have our snorkeling trip at eleven tomorrow. Though this is our vacation, the teachers do tend to not appreciate it when students neglect to show up."

Wally groaned quietly under his breath; he had planned to sleep till noon and he was pretty sure Artemis was thinking along the same lines. Now that the night's excitement was over the adrenaline that had been keeping them alert and awake was gone, leaving them with the feeling of crashing, and crashing hard. "Yeah, right," he replied in a resigned tone. "We'll be there."

"Anyway, we should probably get back to the hotel," Artemis said before any more questions could be asked. "It's almost one thirty in the morning and I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starting to crash."

Murmurs of agreement accompanied Artemis' statement and the four teens parted ways. She and Wally stuck to the sidewalks in plain sight; they had no reason to hide, though the other four teens disappeared into the shadows.

"Still got that vial?" Artemis asked once she was sure no one was listening in on her and Wally.

Wally patted his pant leg. "Yep, still in that hidden pocket," he replied.

"Good," Artemis responded with a quick nod of her head. "I was worried Robin would try something."

"I did see him looking us both over trying to find it, and he asked those questions," Wally agreed. "But I made sure it was hidden."

"I still can't believe we've been rooming with these people," Artemis growled. "I wonder how long they've been spying on us. And I want to know how much they know," she added as an afterthought.

"They might not have been spying on us," Wally replied, though his tone suggested he didn't believe that possibility. "They seemed just as surprised as we were when we ran into each other; though that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if most of what they tell us tomorrow turns out to be lies or half-truths," he added bitterly.

"I know," Artemis nodded. "That's why I say we tell them our own lies and half-truths," she said with a mischievous smile.

Wally's answering smile was just as devilish as the one gracing his best friend's face. "I like the way you think," he told her. "Have I ever told you how awesome it is to have you as my best friend?"

Artemis grinned at him, a teasing light in her eyes. "You could stand to mention it more," she replied. "I mean, I already know I'm amazing, but it's nice to be reminded by someone else every once in a while."

Wally shook his head as he chuckled lightly and slung an arm over Artemis' shoulders. "Whatever you say," he replied mockingly. "Whatever you say."

Wally and Artemis made it back to the hotel easily and without incident. They managed to sneak back into their rooms without any of the trip advisors being aware they had even left in the first place. Wally collapsed onto the soft hotel bed and immediately went right to sleep.

Artemis groaned slightly when the alarm she had set on her phone went off at nine in the morning. She sighed, rolled over and grabbed the buzzing, beeping device. She clicked a few buttons and the buzzing suddenly stopped. She pulled herself out of bed and dragged herself into the bathroom. She went about her usual morning routine of showering, changing, pulling her hair back into its usual ponytail and applying her makeup. She walked back into her room and checked her phone to see that it was almost ten. "Time to go get Wally up," she said with a sigh, knowing very well that the redhead was most likely still asleep.

Artemis slipped out of her room and walked through the halls to Wally's room. She had to climb up a flight of stairs as the boys' rooms were a floor up and dodge any teachers along the way. She made it up to the next floor and quickly located Wally's room. She knocked a couple of times on his door and rolled her eyes when he didn't answer. Artemis looked to her right and left before quickly breaking into Wally's room. She was able to make short work of the electronic card reader and slipped into the room before anyone was the wiser.

Artemis carefully shut the heavy hotel room door behind her and turned around to see Wally spread out on his stomach across his bed. His sheets had tangled up around his legs and one arm was clutching one of his pillows close while the other pillow had been pushed up against the headboard. She smiled softly at the sight for a moment before she walked over and unceremoniously dumped Wally from the bed.

"Come on, move already!" she called as Wally tumbled to the floor. "It's almost ten!"

Wally, not yet being fully awake, reacted on instinct and managed to avoid hitting the floor with his face as he moved at superspeed. However, the sheets tangled around his legs insured that he fell out of his bed, twisted quickly from the fall and land on the unforgiving carpet on his back. He shot up almost instantly, his head darting from side to side and his eyes wide and staring. "Artemis?" he asked at last as he focused on her. "What the hell?"

Artemis burst out laughing at the sight of Wally scrambling around before finally fixing a glare on her. "You should see you face!" she exclaimed, pointing at him. "Oh, I wish I had a camera on me," she added after she had finally managed to calm down a bit.

Wally finally managed to get the jumble of blankets off of his legs and stood, a scowl on his face and a deep red color painting his cheeks. "Very funny, Artemis," he groused. "You're absolutely hilarious."

"I know," Artemis replied, a huge grin on her face. "I'm the Goddess of Comedy."

Wally rolled his eyes but didn't reply as he made his way to his suitcase to dig out fresh cloths for the day. Standing up, he marched past Artemis and to his bathroom, leaving the blonde girl alone for a few minutes. When he came back out about fifteen minutes later, fresh and clean from a relaxing shower, he saw that Artemis had remade his bed for him before perching herself on it. She had her USB computer up and she seemed to be scrolling through something before she looked up and smiled at him; Wally was relieved to see it was a much more genuine smile this time.

"So, we've got the snorkeling trip in about forty-five minutes," she reminded him as she shut down her computer and stood. "You've probably still got a few minutes to grab some breakfast though."

Wally nodded and dug his sneakers out from where he had left them the night before. "Good," he replied appreciatively. "I'm going to need a good breakfast."

Artemis looked at him, instantly concerned as the previous night's conversation came back to her. "Are you still running low on energy?" she asked. "Will you be okay today?"

Wally finished tying the laces to his shoes and looked up with a smile. "I'll be fine," he answered. "Sleeping well last night actually helped a lot; a big breakfast will just be the icing on the cake, so to speak."

"All right then," Artemis said as she grabbed his right arm and hauled him to his feet. "Let's get going then!"

Breakfast was rather quiet by the time the pair got there, as most of the students had woken up much earlier than them and therefore had already eaten. Neither of them saw Conner, Kaldur, Dick or Megan, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be running them down later today if the opportunity presented itself. They rushed through breakfast and made a mad dash out to a cove about a mile away, spotting the large crowd of milling Gotham Academy students easily. At one point Artemis had seen the other four teens briefly, and had mentioned it to Wally, but it was neither the time nor the place to confront them. _Later_, the pair seemed to promise the other through their eyes. _We'll get to them later_.

The snorkeling activity itself turned out to be much more fun than either Wally or Artemis had originally thought it would be and the pair were surprised to see how fast the time had gone by. They felt like they had just gotten in the water when they heard their advisors calling all of the students back to the cove shore as their time was up. The three hours of snorkeling had passed and now the rest of the day was for the students to spend as they pleased. Wally and Artemis exchanged significant looks as they handed back their rented gear and ran to catch up with the group of four friends.

"So," Wally began as he fell in step with Dick, Artemis right beside him. "I think it's about time the six of us talked."

"Agreed," Dick said after a short pause. "But not here, too many people could overhear us."

"My room then," Artemis said. "We'll all get changed and meet back in my room. You four aren't getting out of this."

"Believe me," Kaldur responded placatingly. "We have no intention to."

Half an hour later all six teens were sitting in Artemis' room. Wally had been the first to get there, of course, and had let himself in after knocking to make sure Artemis wasn't still getting dressed. Dick hadn't been too far behind Wally, followed by Kaldur and finally Conner and Megan showed up together.

"Explain," Wally demanded from his perch on Artemis' bed. "Who are you all, really, and what was going on last night?"

The four teens exchanged glances and Dick let out a sigh. "We're a covert operations team for the Justice League," he answered. "We call ourselves Young Justice and we take our mission orders from Batman. Three of us were sidekicks at some point or another," he said before he was cut off.

"Technically speaking, we still remain sidekicks," Kaldur cut in. "We have our mentors that still train us and we still assist on missions with them, but now we also run our own missions."

"Right, right," Dick said as he waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, as you can probably tell from last night, we're not the people we seem to be. I'm Robin, obviously. Kaldur is an Atlantian and his hero alias is Aqualad. Megan is really M'Gann M'orss, she's a Martian, and she goes by Miss Martian or Miss M. Finally, Conner is Superboy."

"Superboy?" Wally asked just as Artemis burst out with "Only three of you have mentors?"

Dick laughed briefly. "You're lucky I can answer both questions with one story," he said. "Long story short, we, meaning Kaldur, Spee…, I mean Red Arrow, and myself found him in a pod in the underground chambers of Cadmus. The three of us had gone there to try and prove to the League that we weren't just kids anymore and ended up discovering this whole plot with modified Venom Formulas, genetic experiments and cloning. Superboy happens to be Superman's clone. Come to think of it, it was right after that incident that we got the League to agree to creating Young Justice and recognizing us as capable heroes as well."

"Who's Red Arrow?" Artemis asked. "Why isn't this person here?"

"He's not here cause he didn't join the team," Dick replied with a shrug. "He decided to cut ties with the League and go solo," he added, pointedly ignoring Wally's and Artemis' whispers of "Smart man!" under their breaths. "He was Speedy, Green Arrow's partner, until her decided to go solo and change his name."

"To 'Red Arrow'?" Wally asked incredulously. "Yeah, real original there," he finished with a roll of his eyes. "Back to the questions; what were you four doing out at that island last night?"

"We told you," Conner cut in. "We were on a mission assigned to us by Batman."

"Uh-huh," Artemis mumbled. "And how long have you been a team?"

"Not quite a year yet," M'Gann answered. "It will be a full year in July."

Both Wally and Artemis nodded before turning their gazes on Dick. "Yes?" he asked calmly, though he had a pretty good idea he knew what was coming.

"Did you know about us?" Artemis demanded. "About Wally and me? About our powers and what we do?"

"You were there with Bats that night, in the warehouse by the docks," Wally added, as though to remind the younger boy.

"I didn't know until last night, no," Dick replied with a shake of his head. Both Wally and Artemis looked skeptical, but he was glad to see that neither of them pressed him further.

"All right, your turn then," Artemis said from her place on her bad as she swept her arm towards the room to indicate the other four teens. "I'm sure Wally and I will have more questions, but for now we'll let you ask yours."

The question and answer session between the two groups went on for another two and a half hours as both groups quizzed each other on what they did, how they got their powers, what kind of gadgets they had and how they worked, whether or not they knew about the other group beforehand and how the system worked (in the case of Young Justice). By the end of the two and a half hours no one from either group could think of any more questions for now and it was mutually agreed that both parties would do their best to answer any future questions from either group, should the occasion ever arise. Both groups also walked away that neither group was being entirely truthful to the other group, but the six teens realized that there was little they could do about it at this point. For now, it was best to just wait and see what happened, and of course keep their guards up.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Well, there you are, chapter six. I hope you all enjoyed it and thank you once again for all of the reviews, alerts and favorites. As always, please don't forget to leave a review before you go! I love hearing (well, reading) what you guys have to say! :D

Till next time,

Asche Angel 46


	7. Chapter 7

**AN**: Hello my friends, readers and reviewers. I'm sorry this update is a little late. I meant to have this out over last weekend but I got caught up in my own original work (I'm almost done with the first book in a trilogy I have planned!). Anyways, a huge thank you to all of my reviewers, old and new. I'm always happy to read what you think. Glad you all love this so far and I hope you enjoy chapter seven. Don't forget to leave a review ;)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Young Justice or any of its characters. This work is purely fan made.

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><p>The next few days between the two groups were tense. Wally and Artemis made it a point to avoid the other four whenever possible. They were still having trouble digesting the fact that the four teens they had come to regard almost as friends were part of the Justice League. For a while, Artemis refused to even look at any of them and Wally wouldn't say so much as one word when they were around. By Thursday M'Gann had enough and cornered Artemis at breakfast.<p>

"Come on," she exclaimed excitedly as she pulled the archer away. "You and I need a girl's day away from the boys." She kept chirping happily as she made her way to the front doors, Artemis in tow. "We're going to have so much fun."

Artemis shot Wally a pleading look and he started toward her until Dick blocked his path and Kaldur and Conner threw restraining arms across his shoulders. "Well, while the girls are out, how 'bout we do something," Dick suggested. "I heard some of the other guys mention a really sweet laser tag place just down the road."

"But," Wally began, trying to duck out beneath Conner and Kaldur to go after his best friend. "Artemis."

"She will be fine," Kaldur assured the redheaded boy. "In the meantime, we shall all get to know each other better. Laser tag would be a fun way to do so."

Wally watched after Artemis for a moment before a sigh escaped his lips. "Yeah, fine. Let's go then," he said dejectedly. Perhaps he shouldn't be so standoffish, but he really hadn't made up his mind about them yet and he was loath to be separated from Artemis.

"Well don't sound so excited," Dick said with a roll of his eyes. "Look, I know you're still wary about us, but trust me when I say you don't have to be."

"Trust is a hard thing to come by with me," Wally said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But let's just see how this plays out."

It was a short walk to the laser tag arena and just by walking through the doors Wally could tell it was a high end, serious gamer, place. The score boards outside the arenas were all electronic and fully user friendly. A player could tap the screen over their codename to get a more in depth look at their stats and a few more taps could have them printing out a detailed breakdown for them to look over. They even had access to video footage of their match and, if they wished, could e-mail themselves a recording of the whole game or just bits and pieces. The main area itself was set up rather plainly, with a few tables and chairs dotting along the walls and arcade games set up in a second room, but it was still clean and fresh and new. Wally had to admit, he was impressed and more than a little excited to start playing, especially since it didn't seem too packed. He recognized a couple people from school, but it didn't look like there were that many people here.

"So, what do you guys want to do?" Dick asked as he walked back to them, a pamphlet in hand. "This says there are five different arenas to choose from and three different games to play," he added as he scanned the piece of paper.

"What are the arenas?" Conner asked.

"Let's see, we've got a jungle arena, a desert arena, a city arena, a forest arena and a blackout maze arena; it looks like the only lighting in that one is a black light" Dick answered.

"They all sound rather interesting," Kaldur replied thoughtfully. "It will be hard to choose just one."

"Then don't," Wally told him. "Why can't we play a round in all five arenas? It's only ten bucks a game for students," he added as he pointed to the sign. "I've still got enough spending money to cover five games."

"Why not?" Conner asked. "I'm up for five games if the rest of you are."

"Bring it on," Dick said with a challenging smile. "I can definitely do five rounds."

"Well, now that we've gotten that figured out, what type of game shall we play?" Kaldur asked as he took the pamphlet from Dick. "It looks like we can do a team battle, a capture the flag type of scenario, or we can play every man for himself."

"Every man for himself," Dick answered as though it were obvious. "We get enough of the team stuff every other day, why not see who's really the best on the team?" he added with a mischievous grin.

"I'm not on your team," Wally reminded the other boys before a large smirk spread across his face. "But I'd be more than happy to show you all how it's done."

"We'll see about that," Conner replied. "I'd say we're all pretty evenly matched if we're limiting ourselves on this."

"Who says we're holding back?" Dick asked suddenly. "Why not make this interesting and say anything goes." He dropped his voice low. "Powers and all."

"I don't know if you've noticed or not dude, but there are cameras in there," Wally said with a jerk of his thumb towards the arenas. "We'd be caught on tape using our powers and I doubt your League would be all that thrilled with you for that."

"Cameras are electronic and hooked up to an internal server so they can record," Dick began. "I can hack them easy and put them in a loop of previous games while we're in there. No one will be watching," he finished with a wicked smile. "We can go all out and no one will know."

Wally regarded him silently for a moment before he burst out laughing. "I like the way you think man. This should be interesting."

Five minutes later the four of them were at the ticket counter, paying for round one in the blackout maze arena. Dick had already hacked the internal server and had full access to every single camera in the building. As they got ready to go into the first room he quickly typed in a few codes on his wrist computer and grinned up at the other three. "Cameras are down and a loop of old games is set up to record. We're running free here guys," he said as they walked into the arena.

"Good luck," Wally said with a smirk tugging at his lips. "You're all going to need it." Without another word he zipped away as the other three scattered around the room as well. Though he still didn't know what to think of the other three boys, Wally couldn't deny that his earlier philosophy of "avoid them at all costs" had changed; their first round of laser tag hadn't even started yet and he was already having fun. _Maybe_, he thought. _Maybe they're not that bad, for being part of the Justice League anyway_.

At first, Artemis was ready to throw herself into the ocean and refuse to surface. When M'Gann had pulled her out of the hotel lobby doors babbling about having "girl time" and "going shopping" Artemis was already dreading her day. However, the second they were out the door and a ways from the hotel, M'Gann stopped pulling and turned to Artemis with a bright smile.

"We don't really have to go shopping," she told the blonde archer. "I just figured that if that's what I told the boys we were doing, they'd be less likely to want to come."

"Why are you so keen on spending time with me?" Artemis asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Well," M'Gann began almost awkwardly. "I'm the only girl on the team and sometimes it gets a little…lonely to be around just guys all the time. Don't get me wrong," she backtracked quickly with a wave of her hands. "I'm glad I'm on the team and all of my teammates are wonderful friends, but sometimes it's nice to have another girl to talk to, you know what I mean?"

Artemis watched the other girl for a moment. Her face was so open and honest, so sincere, that she had a hard time coming up with a reason not to trust her. "I can't say that I do," Artemis answered finally. "It's always been me and Wally and that's worked really well for me. But," she said with a small smile at the girl in front of her. "I suppose I don't mind seeing what this 'girl time' thing is all about."

M'Gann squealed happily and took hold of Artemis' arm once again. "Great! We're going to have so much fun! I admit, I thought about going shopping, but you're not really the type to want to do that, are you?"

Artemis shook her head. "Not even close," she answered. "My philosophy is; get in, get what you need and get out. There's no reason to spend hours looking at clothes."

"That's what I thought," M'Gann nodded. "That's why I thought maybe we could go scuba diving. I've never been, for obvious reasons, and I thought it would be fun."

"Yeah, sure," Artemis replied before she paused. "So, can I ask you something?"

"Of course!" M'Gann chirped.

"Where are you from, really?" Artemis asked bluntly. "I know you're not from Earth."

"No, I'm not," M'Gann replied. "I'm actually from Mars. My uncle is Martian Manhunter, from the League. He brought me here to be a member of Young Justice. I had always wanted to come to Earth and it was a dream come true when my uncle brought me here," M'Gann added with a happy smile.

"I see," Artemis replied.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" M'Gann asked suddenly.

Artemis shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly? I don't know what to think of you. Wally and I have spent most of our lives despising the League and then we find out that you're a part of it," Artemis trailed off with another shrug of her shoulders. "Well, it's going to take time and some thinking to get used to."

"I understand," M'Gann replied. "And I don't wish to pry into why you dislike the League. I just hope to reassure you that I truly wish to be your friend."

Artemis stopped walking for a moment and looked at the other girl. "I suppose I can give it a shot," Artemis said with a smile. "Wally's the best friend I'll ever have, but sometimes he just doesn't get it."

"Oh wonderful!" M'Gann squealed as she pulled Artemis into a hug. "You'll be like the sister I never had. Well, at least on Earth anyway. I have twelve sisters back home."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Artemis said. "Let's take this one step at a time, huh? Let's see if we can even be friends before you declare me your sister."

"Right," M'Gann replied sheepishly as she backed away. "Sorry, I can get a little carried away."

"I noticed," Artemis replied with a smile. "Now let's say we get to scuba diving, huh?"

"Right," M'Gann said with a bright smile.

The Martian girl took off at a skip down the road and Artemis watched after her for a moment before following along with a shake of her head. Today would be interesting, to say the least.

Artemis and M'Gann enjoyed two hours of scuba diving in the clear blue waters of the Keys. After two hours of being in the water the girls started to get hungry and decided to surface and grab lunch. They went to a nearby burger joint and decided to sit and talk for a while.

"So," M'Gann began, taking a sip from her water. "What's up with you and Wally?"

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked as she took a sip from her chocolate shake.

"Well, what's going on between you two?" M'Gann clarified. "You two are rather close."

"He's my best friend," Artemis replied. "The only person in the world I do and will ever trust."

"There's nothing else?" M'Gann prompted. "Nothing deeper than friendship?"

"Like what?" Artemis asked, confused.

"Nothing, never mind," M'Gann answered with a smile and a shake of her head. "So how long have you known each other?"

"Since second grade," Artemis answered. "I got into a fight with some fifth graders and he came over to help." She laughed lightly. "We didn't win, in fact we got pretty beat up, but we've been together ever since."

"Wow, so you've known each other for a while then," M'Gann said.

"Yeah," Artemis replied. "I can't imagine my life without him anymore; it's like he's always been there."

M'Gann smiled into her drink. "I think it's amazing that you two are so close," she gushed.

Artemis just rolled her eyes. She hadn't expected to get along at all with M'Gann at all when the other girl had dragged her from the hotel. Surprisingly, she found herself actually almost enjoying the other girl's company. She wasn't the type of girl that Artemis usually got along with, in fact she generally made it a point to avoid her type, but she found herself not minding being around M'Gann all that much. After lunch, the two girls spent the next couple hours just talking and wandering around the shopping area. Though it wasn't something Artemis enjoyed, not by a long shot, she felt that some sort of concession could be made. M'Gann had been willing to forego shopping so Artemis could have fun; she thought she could do the same.

Four rounds of laser tag later and the score between the four boys was tied. Conner had won the blackout maze arena due to his ability to see in infrared. Kaldur snagged the next win in the forest arena, followed by Dick taking the jungle arena. Wally snagged the last win in the desert arena, finally having the room to run free. The four boys were lounging at a table, resting up before their last match.

"Huh, looks like you three aren't so bad, for Leaguers anyway," Wally smirked. "You managed to keep the score tied."

"If I remember correctly, you were the last to get a win, Wally," Dick replied.

"That may be so," Wally said with a shrug. "But we were all within single digit points of each other by the end."

"Maybe," Dick replied dismissively. "But the last round is in the city arena, my kinda place," he finished with a grin.

"You're not the only one who fights in the city," Wally reminded him. "I run the city streets as well."

"You two seem awfully sure of yourselves," Conner said. "What makes you so sure you'll win this one? City fighting isn't that different from anything else we've done so far."

"I agree," Kaldur added. "In fact there are more places to hide while in the city."

"Well then, we'll just have to see then, won't we?" Wally said with a smug look on his face. "I haven't even really opened up yet."

"Oh, so it wasn't just me that was holding back," Dick smirked. "I thought I would go easy on you guys, but maybe I shouldn't have."

"You're all going down," Conner said as he cracked his knuckles.

Suddenly their group was called in and all four boys grinned at each other. They walked into the entry hall to the last room and picked up their guns. The countdown timer above the door that would lead them into the last arena began to tick the last thirty seconds away.

"Here we go guys," Wally said as he readjusted his gun strap across his shoulder. "Hope you're ready for this." The doors opened and all four boys dashed in, scrambling to find places to hide and high vantage points to shoot from.

About forty-five minutes later the four boys dragged themselves out of the last arena. Wally was barely standing as he made his way over to a table and sat heavily on a chair. "Geez, I'm beat," he sighed. "I need a nap," he added as he dropped his head into his arms.

Dick laughed as he slipped into a chair next to him. "Come on man, we can't sit here for too long. Conner's got a text from Megan and he says the girls are going to meet us back at the hotel so we can all go grab dinner."

"Ugh," Wally mumbled.

"Dude," Dick laughed again. "Come on, Artemis will be waiting for you."

That got Wally to lift his head. "Yeah," he replied. "Yeah she will. All right, give me a minute to catch my breath and we can go."

Dick was quiet for a second, watching the boy across from him. "You two are really close, aren't you?"

"Yeah man, we are. She's my best friend and the only person I trust," Wally replied.

Dick nodded. "Yeah, I get that."

Wally was quiet for a moment as an awkward silence fell between them. "Hey, uh, where are Conner and Kaldur?" he asked after the silence grew too long for him.

"They're getting the final scores," Dick said as he pointed towards the scoreboards. "As a matter of fact, here they come."

"So, are you guys ready for this?" Conner asked as he walked back to the table.

"What's the final score, who won?" Dick asked.

"Wally managed to sneak into first with one point more than the rest of us," Kaldur replied. "We were tied right up until Wally's last shot."

Wally smirked at the memory. "You've got to admit, that was an epic shot." The four of them had been locked in a firefight when Dick had pulled out a compact grappling shooter and shot off to higher ground. Not one to let someone get away, Wally took off after him and dashed up the side of a building. Dick had already swung ahead and Wally was falling behind. Deciding it was no or never, Wally leapt off from the side of the building, twisted around in midair and brought his gun to the back of Dick's target vest. Acting quickly before he lost the shot, he pulled the trigger to his laser gun and racked up one more shot. Just as he and Dick landed on the ground the buzzer sounded to end the match. "That last move wiped me out," he added. "But it was most definitely worth it."

A sudden beeping noise had all four boys turning their attention to Conner's pocket as he pulled out his cellphone. He flipped it open and quickly scanned the message before sliding it back into his jeans. "That was Megan," he said by way of explanation. "She says she and Artemis are wondering where we are."

"Tell her we're on our way," Dick said as he stood. "And also let her know that the four of us are probably going to want to shower before we go to dinner."

"There's no probably about it," Wally commented as he stood. "After five intense rounds of laser tag, I need a shower." He wobbled slightly and had to place a hand back on the table to keep from falling over. "And some rest," he added. "It looks like I also need some rest."

"Are you all right?" Kaldur asked as the other three boys closed in around the redhead.

"Just way out of juice," Wally replied. "I'll be fine once I get some food in my system and catch some z's."

"Can you make it back to the hotel?" Dick asked.

In answer, Wally lifted his hand from the table and tried to take a step forward. He only succeeded in making the room spin a bit before falling backwards into the chair. "Nope," he finally replied. "I can barely stand it seems." He laughed suddenly. "Geez, a whole night fighting Gotham's baddies never tires me out too badly but five rounds of laser tag with you three has me too weak to stand."

"Here, let us help you," Kaldur said as he moved next to Wally and slung one of his arms across his shoulders. He managed to get the redheaded boy to his feet before Conner came over and pulled Wally's other arm across his own shoulders. "We can get you back to the hotel and see about getting you something from one of the vending machines to tide you over until dinner," he added as the four of them made their way to the door.

"I hope that vending machine is stocked then, 'cause it won't be by the time I'm done with it," Wally joked even as he focused on keeping one foot in front of the other.

Artemis and Megan had been waiting in front of the hotel for the boys for about ten minutes when they finally came around the corner. Though Dick had been leading the way, the first thing she saw was Wally being half dragged along between Kaldur and Conner. "Wally!" she exclaimed as she ran towards them. "What happened?" she demanded. "What did you do to him?" she accused the other three boys even as she pushed Kaldur and Conner away and slung Wally's arm across her shoulders even as her own snaked around his waist.

"Relax Arty," Wally soothed. "We just played five rounds of all out laser tag so I'm just a little drained right now."

"Oh," Artemis responded as she shot the other boys apologetic glances. "What about taking a protein bar?" she asked her best friend. "I thought you bought some the other day after the island fiasco."

"I did," Wally replied sheepishly. "But I, uh, kinda ate them all already."

Artemis rolled her eyes at him. "Seriously? There were twelve in there and you just bought them the other day!"

"I was hungry!" Wally tried to defend himself.

"You're always hungry," Artemis retorted, a smile on her lips. "You're just lucky you've got an amazing best friend to look out for you," she said as she reached into her bag with her free hand and pulled out an energy bar.

"Artemis, you're awesome," Wally replied gratefully as he took the bar from her. "I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"Some days, neither do I," she joked before turning to face the four other teens. "Let's say we met back down in the lobby in an hour? It'll give us all time to rest up and clean up before we go to dinner."

"It sounds good to me," Dick replied.

"That's perfect," Megan added. "It will give me time to pack away all those new outfits I bought!"

"Great, see you then," Artemis said as she began to help Wally into the elevators. Once the doors slid shut behind them she let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against the back wall.

"So, you really went shopping?" Wally asked around a mouthful of energy bar. "I thought you hated that."

"I do," Artemis answered. "But we went scuba diving first. I figured if M'Gann could make allowances to accommodate me, I could do the same for her."

"Understandable," Wally replied with a nod. "So how was your day then?"

"Interesting actually," Artemis answered. "For being League flunkies, these guys don't seem all that bad."

"My thoughts exactly," Wally added. "We'll have to be careful about what we say around them, but I think we could maintain a relatively good friendship with them."

"We can try anyway," Artemis said as the elevator doors pinged open. She moved to place Wally's arm around her shoulder, but he waved her off.

"I'm fine," he told her. "That energy bar gave me enough juice to get to my room at least."

"I don't think so, Wally. You're not brushing me off that easily," Artemis said as she scowled at him. "I want to make sure you're okay and that you get enough rest before we go to dinner with them."

"What about you?" Wally asked as the headed down the hall to his room. "Don't you want to shower and change?"

"I'll shower in your room," Artemis said with a shrug. "It's not like that'll be a big deal. And I don't need to change; I'm fine with what I'm wearing."

"Always looking out for me," Wally said with a low chuckle as he slung his arm across Artemis' shoulders. "I really appreciate that, you know," he added as he pulled her tight against his side in a one armed hug.

"I know," Artemis replied as she wrapped both arms around Wally's torso to hug him back. "It's no less than you do for me. We're together forever and always."

"Forever and always," Wally echoed.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: I had originally planned to end this chapter a bit differently, but then I wrote this and decided, what the heck. Why not end on a sweet moment between Wally and Artemis. So things are progressing with the Young Justice group; our favorite pair have at least decided to give being friends with them a shot. That doesn't mean they're on the team though; just thought I'd clear that up. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed chapter seven and don't forget to leave a review please; I love hearing your thoughts on this :) Oh, and just to let you know, updates may be a little slower (I promise I'll try not to be) as I am just about done with my first book in my original work series and I'm working hard on finishing that.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN**: I am so very sorry for being away for so long. I have no excuses to offer, just my deepest apologies. To answer your question Remmy (may I call you that?) my book is in the fantasy/ young adult genre. It takes the concept of light/order being good and darkness/chaos being evil and flips it around. I don't want to give too much away and I have a feeling that answer was more cryptic than helpful… As always, a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and alerted; you guys never fail to make me smile! Anyways, on to chapter eight! Please enjoy and don't forget to leave a review

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Young Justice or anything affiliated with it.

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><p>An odd sort of peace and understanding settled between the two teams after the week-long vacation in the Florida Keys. Neither group tried to hide when they were leaving for their respective missions each night any longer. In fact, Dick had taken to fine tuning and cleaning his equipment and weapons in the living room each night, no longer feeling the need to hide the fact that he was Robin. After a couple of days of this, Wally just shrugged and accepted it; at least all six teens were growing closer as friends. It had ended up taking about a week and a half for the awkwardness between the two groups to settle to the background, but after it had Wally and Artemis found themselves opening up to the other group more and more. Granted, they would always be closer to each other than anyone else, but there was no reason they couldn't open up to the others either. This newfound camaraderie also brought a few more eyes and ears to watching out for each other; both Dick and Wally had taken to waiting up each night they went out on missions just to make sure they got back safely. Wally soon discovered, as he piggybacked Artemis to class each morning, that the blonde haired archer had taken to doing the same thing with her alien roommate.<p>

One particular Friday night, about three weeks after the Florida Keys trip, Wally found himself crashed on the living room couch waiting for Dick to get back. He and Artemis had only gotten back from their nightly excursion about half an hour earlier and he was exhausted but he made sure to wait up for Dick. Just as he was closing his eyes he heard the click of Dick's bedroom door. "Hey dude, about time!" he called. "You're pushing three in the morning man. You're lucky it's the weekend."

"Yeah," came a rather weak reply. "Sorry man, rough night."

Wally was about to crack a joke when Dick popped out from the shadows of the hallway and a concerned frown replaced the smirk on his face. "Dude! You look like hell!" he commented as he looked over the younger boy. He was cut up, bruised and bleeding from multiple wounds scattered across his arms, legs and torso. He pulled himself up from the couch and stepped over to the younger boy. "What the hell happened?"

"We got ambushed," Dick replied with a rueful shake of his head. "They spotted us before we even got close and got us." He shook his head again and sighed to himself. "Maybe I missed something," he added with a scoff. "Batman is definitely going to get on my case for this one."

Wally regarded the younger boy incredulously. "Dude, you're busted up and you're worried about what Bats is going to say?" he asked with a shake of his head and pointed to the couch. "Sit down man, before you fall down. Let's see if we can get you cleaned up a bit at least," he commanded as he made his way to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit. "How are the others doing?" he called over his shoulder.

"Well, Conner and Kaldur are a little worse off than I am," Dick began. "M'Gann's not too bad, but she's got her fair share of scrapes and bruises."

Wally walked back out to the living room with the first aid kit and rolled his eyes. "All right, get Conner and Kaldur over here, I'm calling Artemis." Without another word to the younger boy he tossed the white box onto the couch beside him and pulled out his cell phone. A few seconds later he was talking to his best friend. "Hey Artemis. Yeah, Dick's back. Yeah, he's in pretty bad shape too. Drag her over here and we'll get them cleaned up. Okay, yeah. Do you want me to run you over? You sure? Okay, see you soon then." He flipped the small plastic device closed and turned back to the dark headed boy on the couch. "All right, Artemis and M'Gann will be here soon and then the four of you can explain what exactly happened."

Dick was silent for a moment. "I don't know if that's such a great idea," he said at last. "This is a mission assigned to Young Justice; it's our problem."

Wally regarded him silently before he made a dismissive gesture. "Whatever," he replied. "Let's just get you guys put back together, yeah?" He went to answer the door and ushered Conner and Kaldur in.

Both of the powerhouses looked much worse for the wear than Dick did. Conner had an open gash on his scalp that was still trickling blood down into his eyes and Kaldur seemed to be favoring his left arm. A second knock at the door had Wally standing aside to allow Artemis and M'Gann entry. The alien girl had her arm slung across Artemis' shoulders as the blonde archer helped her limp into the room. She didn't seem to be in a terribly bad condition, at least compared to the guys already in the room, though she seemed run down and her eyelids kept drooping as Artemis hauled her in.

Wally frowned as her surveyed the other teens in the room while his best friend helped the only other girl to the couch. "You guys got seriously messed up," he said at last as he stepped close to Artemis. Despite the friendly camaraderie that had built up between the two groups, both Gotham Central teens only felt truly comfortable when with each other. "So, we'll get you fixed up and then you'll tell us the whole story in return."

Before any of the four teens could respond, Wally and Artemis immediately went about cleaning and bandaging the wounds. The pair worked quickly and efficiently and before too long, all of the other teens were wrapped up and in slightly better shape.

"All right," Artemis said as she snapped the lid to the first aid kit close. "Time to spill the details."

All four teens of Young Justice exchanged tense and tentative glances before Dick sighed. "All right," he finally conceded. "I don't know how much you really want to know, or even how much I can tell you because this is an official League investigation that goes well beyond our mission tonight. All I really can say is that we were trying to break into a night club to get a look at some records and possibly find a product the League has been looking for."

Wally and Artemis exchanged a brief look. "You guys didn't go in dressed like that, did you?" she asked, indicating their uniforms.

"Well, of course," M'Gann answered, her tone confused. "It was an official League mission."

Artemis let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head dramatically. She glanced skyward for a moment and shot Wally a significant look. "Well there's your problem then," she said as if it were obvious. "Going in with your uniforms on practically announces who you are and what you're there for. If you want to get this done, then you've got to go in undercover."

"Undercover?" Kaldur asked uncertainly. "It makes sense, of course, but in order to be effective under cover we would have to know how to blend in as well. We have not had much experience in this area."

"Well, it's a good thing you know us then, isn't it?" Wally replied with a smirk. "You richies have had it easy, but we can teach you how to relate to the people you're going to go undercover as."

"I don't know," Dick said with a shake of his head. "We've got to accomplish this mission tomorrow, especially now that we've botched this first attempt. Can you teach us everything in under twenty-four hours?"

"We can teach you most of it," Wally said with a shrug before he glanced over at Artemis.

"And since you guys obviously can't handle yourselves, Wally and I will go with you," Artemis added with a smirk.

"Whoa, hold up," Conner interjected. "This is a League mission, you two aren't League. You haven't been trained for this."

"Thank you for that observation Captain Obvious," Artemis retorted with a roll of her eyes. "But we both know Wally and I have been trained, and trained quite well. Besides, out of the six of us, Wally and I are the only ones that haven't come back from a mission torn up and bloody."

"I don't know Artemis," M'Gann said quietly. "We do not wish to drag you into this; especially after you've made it clear you want nothing to do with the Justice League."

"True," Wally conceded with a shrug. "But we'll just keep our involvement a secret, just like last time. We're not about to let you guys go in there blind and disoriented while you're all still hurt. Now, rest up," he added as he walked over to a small hall closet on his side of the suite and started pulling out pillows and blankets. "I don't care where you sleep, but if you want to stay here then take these," he said as he tossed his pile into the room. "It'll probably be easier if you all stay here, considering how late it is and all the work we have to do tomorrow to get you four ready. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."

"Hold up," Artemis said as she stood from her spot on one of the chairs. "I'm too tired to drag myself back to my room; I'm bunking with you tonight."

Wally said nothing, but gave her a small smile and ushered her along with him.

"But wait, that really is not allowed," M'Gann said hastily. "Technically, all of us being here right now is against the rules."

"Like the rules really mean anything," Artemis snorted. "If we're going by the rules than none of us should be sneaking out at night to do what we do, but we're doing it anyway and we all know we're not going to stop."

"Besides," Wally said with a dismissive shrug. "Artemis and I have been sharing a room for years; since we were kids really. It's nothing new for us. Now, if you'll excuse us, it's late and we're going to bed." With those last words Wally slung an arm across Artemis' shoulders and led her off to his room so both of them could get some well-deserved rest.

Artemis woke the next morning when the sunlight finally cast its glow across her eyes. She groaned softly to herself and slowly opened one of her eyes. For a moment she was confused and disoriented. This wasn't her room at Gotham Academy and it most definitely wasn't her room back in Gotham Central. Suddenly she felt something move beneath her head and she went rigid. She stayed still for a moment as she realized that the movement was slow, even and rhythmic. Cracking her other eye open and turning her head slightly she saw that at some point in the night she had cuddled up to Wally and rested her head on his chest. The boy was still asleep, which accounted for the steady up and down movement beneath her head. The arm trapped beneath her had wrapped itself around her shoulders and held her closer. She smiled slightly and contemplated going back to sleep herself but those thoughts were soon dispelled when Wally's eyes cracked open as well.

"Morning," he mumbled tiredly. "Sleep well?"

"Of course," Artemis replied as she rolled away from Wally and stretched. A large yawn cut off what she was about to say next and she heard Wally chuckle beside her.

"You sure about that?" he asked teasingly.

Artemis huffed in reply and pulled herself out of bed. "Come on," she told him. "We've got some tragically inept teenagers we need to teach to interact with others of their species."

Wally laughed and climbed out of bed after her. "Don't you mean we need to teach some rich and privileged kids how to slum it with the poor and not nearly as fortunate?"

"Same thing," Artemis answered with a smirk. "Though my way puts us in a better light."

"True," Wally said with a life as he stood and stretched. "All right, time to go wake the invalids and teach them to forget everything they've learned so far on how to act in polite company cause where we're going, you won't find polite company for miles."

After bandages were changed and more serious wounds were looked at the six teens unanimously decided that lessons on being a normal teenager could wait until after they had eaten breakfast. Once Wally and Artemis began to give advice and pointers, it was quickly discovered that Dick already knew how to act as a normal teenager. This revelation led Wally to shoot him a questioning look and ask him if he'd ever slummed it before. His only answer had been a secretive smirk and a shrug of the shoulders. The other three teens took a little more work. Wally and Artemis eventually decided that Conner was capable of pulling of the "dark and broody" type of teenager and told him all he really had to do was keep a scowl on his face and say as little as possible to other people. Kaldur took a little more work but the two teens from Gotham Central were eventually able to get him to loosen up, slouch a little and drop the more formal way of speaking. M'Gann took the most work and it took quite a lot of convincing to get her to drop her usual sunny and polite disposition. Finally, around five o'clock that night, Wally and Artemis stepped back and declared the other four teens ready.

"All right," Wally began. "You're probably ready to pull this off now but Artemis and I will be there just in case."

"I still do not know if you should come," Kaldur said with a worried frown. "We do not want you to get in trouble with the League."

"Someone needs to remind you how to talk and act," Artemis retorted with a shrug. "Besides, you're all still injured so two fresh and fit people on the team will be a benefit."

"So what time are we heading out?" Wally asked.

"Well, the club doesn't open until ten," Dick replied. "We should aim to be there around eleven. We probably should go in smaller teams as well instead of one big group. Seeing as there's six of us, how about three teams of two?"

Kaldur nodded. "That might be better as it will draw less attention."

"Hold up, what are we even looking for?" Wally interrupted. "Artemis and I can't go in blind; it'll make us relatively useless in the grand scheme of things."

"You'll go in with me and Artemis will go in with M'Gann," Dick replied. "Besides, if the girls go in together they may stand a better chance of flirting the information we need out of people than any of us guys would."

"But," Artemis began as she and Wally exchanged glances. She was quiet for a moment before looking over at M'Gann. The other girl's face was hopeful and openly smiling at her. She let out a soft sigh and smiled back. "Yeah, okay. That makes sense I suppose." She didn't like being separated from Wally, but she knew that they'd still be in the same building at least. "All right then, time to suit up, and no, not in your uniforms," she added with a smirk. "Your goal is to blend in. Wally, you help the guys find something suitable, I'll help M'Gann." She gently grabbed the other girl by the arm and began to tug her towards the door. "See ya at eleven."

Wally had taken his task of getting the other guys ready quite seriously, especially when he found out that all Kaldur owned for everyday wear were a couple track suits and his school uniform. Luckily for him, neither Conner nor Dick posed much of a problem getting ready. Dick had pulled together a pair of skinny jeans, a dark green hoodie and a dark jacket over that. He completed his look with a pair of Converse for his feet and some dark sunglasses. When Wally had pointed out that it was night, therefore making the sunglasses a liability, Dick had shrugged his shoulders and replied that he'd be fine. Conner had thrown on a pair of loose cargo jeans, a black tee-shirt and a brown leather jacket. He had tucked the ends of his jeans into a pair of black combat boots. Kaldur had presented the biggest problem, as it was difficult to find a look he could pull off in a teen night club and still hide hid gills. Eventually, they decided to go with a pair of loose jeans, a black tee-shirt borrowed from Conner, a black jacket that was left open, and a dark scarf to hide his gills.

After declaring the rest of the guys to be ready, Wally had zipped into his own room and pulled on a dark green tee-shirt that was layered with a black button-up shirt (left unbuttoned) on top. He dug out a pair of dark jeans and pulled them on before he snagged his Vans from under his bed. He debated for a minute on whether or not to attach the chain sitting on his desk to his belt loops and eventually decided why not. By the time he was ready to go it was half past ten and the boys decided to wander over to the girls' dorm to wait.

Artemis shot another glance at the clock and sighed to herself. Wally had sent her a text ten minutes ago letting her know that the boys were ready to go and were waiting outside for them. She turned her attention back to her wardrobe and tried to come up with something to wear. She had planned on having more time to pull her own look together but it had taken forever to get the Martian girl ready to go; partly due to the fact that it took the other girl a while to grasp the concept that bright, happy colors would only make her stand out and draw in too much attention at the club. _At least I didn't have to wait for her to change outfits_, Artemis thought as she reflected on the other girl's ability to change her appearance and clothing at will. Finally, the two girls had decided on a black miniskirt and a red spaghetti-strap top with knee high boots and black leggings to complete the look. With another glance at the clock Artemis groaned and pulled out a pair of black, tight skinny jeans, a hunter green tube top and a black half-jacket that came down to the middle of her ribs. She dug her own pair of Vans from her closet and quickly laced them up before rushing out the door to meet the guys with the other girl in tow.

"Not bad, not bad," Wally complimented Artemis when she came into view, a lazy grin on his face. "Took you a while though."

"Shut it West," Artemis retorted, a playful smirk on her lips. "Perfection takes time."

"Ah, then you might want to take a few more minutes," Wally retorted back easily.

Artemis shot him a mock offended look and lightly slapped his arm. "If I was any other kind of girl I would be in tears right now," she mock scolded him.

"If you were any other kind of girl," Wally began with a smile as he slung an arm across her shoulder. "You wouldn't be the best friend I know and care about."

Artemis smiled up at him and nudged him gently with her shoulder before turning to face the other four teens. She found them huddled together discussing strategy. "I'm not all that comfortable that they're not filling us in," she remarked to her best friend.

"Neither am I," Wally agreed. "From what I could get out of the guys it seems like whatever this is has to do with some sort of drug and all those missing kids reports lately."

"Hmm," Artemis responded lowly. "I suppose we'll just have to keep our eyes open then," she added with a sigh. "It'd be easier of they weren't splitting us up; you and I work much more efficiently as a team."

"I know," Wally replied. "But look at it this way; at least we'll still be in the same building and we both know that I can get to you very fast when I need to."

Artemis looked back at her redheaded best friend, ready to reply, when the other four teens finally joined them.

"All right," Dick started. "The club we're going to happens to be in New York City. The plan is to take M'Gann's bioship down there, though we'll land it about four blocks from the club so we can split into three groups. Each group will approach the club from a different angle so it doesn't look like we're all together. Now, a note of caution," he added as he looked right at Wally and Artemis. "Any electronic communications, including and especially communicators, can be tracked in this club so we won't be using them."

"Then how are we all going to stay in contact?" Wally asked. "Even if we're splitting up into teams it makes sense to stay connected to everyone else."

"That's where I come in," M'Gann said softly. "I am able to create a psychic network between all of us that will allow all six of us to communicate telepathically with each other."

"You mean all of our minds will be connected?" Artemis asked skeptically. "So much for privacy and peace of mind," she sighed. She took a quick glance at Wally who looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging and nodding his head slightly. "All right, hook us up then," she said at last.

"The connection will be there, but it will only broadcast your thoughts to the rest of us if you wish it to," M'Gann explained as she reached out to the two teens. "I apologize in advance," she added with a regretful look on her face. "This may hurt for a moment."

_Hurt was an understatement_, Wally thought as a sharp pain lanced into his mind that had him clutching at his head. He found he could do nothing but squeeze his eyes shut and wait for the pain to disperse. He thought he heard a faint thud come from next to him but at the moment he was too busy trying to keep his skull from splitting in two or bursting into flame; whichever happened first. When the pain finally subsided he slowly and carefully cracked his eyes open to find Artemis picking herself up off the ground.

"May hurt my left arm," she scoffed as she stood. "Hurt is skinning your knee or stubbing your toe. _That_ was being beaten over the head with a sledgehammer, run over by a truck and having your brain freeze while simultaneously being lit on fire," she groused.

"I am truly sorry," M'Gann replied. "In order for you to be hooked into this psychic connection certain parts of your brain needed to be altered slightly so as to make you compatible."

"Hold on a minute," Wally exclaimed. "You altered our _brains_?"

"Only slightly," M'Gann said timidly. "It will not cause any side effects and you will not realize any difference in brain functioning."

"Still, that's something you tell us _before_ you mess with how our brains are wired," Artemis growled.

"Perhaps," Dick interjected. "But we don't have time to debate this right now. Suffice it to say that what's done is done and you're now permanently capable of accessing the mental link between all six of us if M'Gann sets up an open channel first. Now let's get going and get this mission done, huh?"

Wally and Artemis exchanged disgruntled looks but followed along regardless. Now wasn't the time to be picking any fights, but you could bet that this conversation wasn't over.

_Conner and I are in_, Kaldur said over the psychic link about forty minutes later. The two had been the last group to enter the club, with Wally and Dick going in ahead of them and Artemis and M'Gann going in first.

_Great, you know what to look for_, Dick replied. _Keep your eyes open and report back anything suspicious_.

_Right_, both boys replied before the psychic link went dead.

It was odd, Wally decided. Talking to the others over a mental link and having them reply was a new experience that left him feeling both exposed and awkward. Any of the other five could burst into his mind at any moment to start talking to him and hear his thoughts in return. He let out a sigh and ignored yet another scantily clad girl that was trying to make eye contact him before turning to the younger boy next to him. "You going to fill me in at all?" he asked out loud.

"Told you already," Dick replied as his eyes scanned the crowd behind his dark sunglasses. "Keep your eyes open for anything that looks like a drug deal or that looks like drugs are being exchanged."

"But you won't tell me what kind of drug," Wally guessed.

"I don't even know myself," Dick replied. "The League just heard of something new popping up in teen night clubs around the same time that teenagers began to disappear. That's why we're here; to look for this drug and see if we can find out what's going on with the missing teenagers."

Wally shot him an incredulous glance. "So they sent you guys in blind as well? Seriously? Doesn't that seem a bit dangerous? The less you know, the less prepared you are and the bigger target you make for yourself."

"They told us what they could," Dick answered with a shrug. "Even they don't know much about what's going on."

"Uh-huh, sure," Wally said to himself, wholly unconvinced. "All right," he said to Dick. "I'll just keep my eyes open then."

Wally had only been scanning the crowd a few minutes when his eyes fell on her. Artemis had dragged M'Gann out to the dance floor to mingle with other teens to try and get information out of them. Wally watched with narrowed eyes as one guy approached his blonde best friend, intent on leading her away from the dance floor. He watched Artemis shake her head and scowl before turning back to M'Gann. The boy apparently couldn't take a hint though, as he grabbed onto her hips and leaned into her to speak lowly in her ear. Wally felt his anger spark and kindle as he stepped towards them, his focus solely on Artemis and the boy she was struggling to get away from. Rationally, he knew Artemis could take care of herself but he'd be damned if he let another guy touch her in any way.

"Wait," Dick said as he reached out and pulled Wally back to the counter they were leaning against. "You can't give us away."

"Dude!" Wally protested, trying to shake the younger boy off. "You can't expect me to let that guy get away with bugging my best friend!"

"You're best friend?" Dick echoed. "Are you sure that's all it is? Are you sure there's nothing more to it than that?"

Wally's protests and attempts to break away instantly stilled at Dick's words. "What do you mean?" he asked, hoping his voice sounded more convincing than he thought it had.

Dick rolled his eyes and dropped his hand from Wally's arm, assured for now that the other boy wouldn't bolt away. "Most people don't look downright murderous when their best friends are with someone else, even when those best friends are of the opposite gender." He paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Especially when they know that best friend could beat that guy six ways from Sunday and leave nothing but a bloody, quaking mess behind. So I'll ask again; are you two really just best friends? Because neither of you act like it."

Wally was quiet for a moment, contemplating. If he thought about it, really thought about it, he would have to concede that Dick was on to something. He knew, deep down in places of himself he would rather ignore thank you very much, that Artemis meant more to him than one would think a best friend could, or ever would. As it stood though, he was comfortable with the relationship the two of them had now and he didn't want to do anything to ruin it. Besides, whatever these feelings were (even he did not know as he was much too reluctant to even acknowledge they existed most days), he was far from ready to examine them at length and figure it all out. "I don't know what you're talking about man," he finally said aloud, hoping Dick would buy his "playing dumb" act.

"Whatever," Dick said with a sigh. "For someone so smart, you sure can be clueless sometimes."

Wally said nothing, but felt quietly relieved that the younger boy didn't push the subject any further. He watched his blonde best friend for a moment longer, smirking to himself when she actually turned and flat out punched the guy accosting her. Content in the knowledge that she was okay, Wally went back to his scan of the room, trying to pick out anything suspicious.

It took another hour before any of the six teens noticed it. Artemis had been watching as a couple of teens, a boy and a girl, had disappeared through a door set into the back wall. She had rolled her eyes at first, thinking it was a place the patrons regularly used to "hook-up". However, curiosity got the better of her when neither teen reemerged half an hour later and two more teens, this time two boys that both looked around to make sure they weren't being watched or followed, slipped through the door. _Guys_, she sent through the mental link, wincing slightly at the odd feeling of being connected to five other people. _I think I may have something_. She quickly relayed what she had seen.

_Infrareds don't show anyone in there anymore_, Conner replied after Artemis had finished relaying her information.

_And I'm not picking up any mental activity in the area immediately behind the door_, M'Gann added.

_Time to check it out?_, Wally asked. _How do we work this then?_

_M'Gann, perhaps you should sneak in first and relay what you find_, Kaldur said. _Just remember to stay invisible and do not take any unnecessary risks_.

_Right_, M'Gann replied before all mental communication ceased and the Martian girl suddenly vanished from sight.

Ten minutes later all five teens received an update. _There is a passageway through the door that leads down into the earth_, M'Gann's voice suddenly reverberated through the other five teens' minds. _Shall I go check it out?_

_No_, Dick's voice answered. _Wait for the rest of us to meet up with you. If this leads us where we want to go we won't want to be split up. Artemis, go join M'Gann, but both of you stay hidden. Wally and I will slip in after about ten minutes. Conner and Kaldur, you two follow us through after another ten minutes_.

No more than twenty minutes later all six teens were slipping quietly through the shadows of a passageway that lead them further downward.

"I think I hear water up ahead," Conner whispered quietly after they had been walking a while. "And I think I hear people talking."

The whole group paused as the other five teens strained their auditory abilities trying to pick out the same noises. However, their efforts proved futile as they were too far to pick up anything that Conner's advanced senses could.

"All right," Dick said after a moment. "Since Conner hears people up ahead then it's critically important that we proceed quickly, but quietly. We don't want to get caught now."

Five heads nodded in affirmation and the group of six started forward once more. A few more minutes of walking brought them to the edge of a brightly lit area. All members of the group could now hear the lapping of water against stone and the sound of voices coming from up ahead. Dick motioned for everyone to wait and, with a quick glance at the alien female of the group; M'Gann disappeared once more and quietly made her way forward alone.

M'Gann returned a few moments later and shimmered back into visibility, a distraught look on her face. _There are three men down there_, she began over the mental link. _Two of them are on the shore while the third is piloting a boat. Whatever that cavern is it opens onto the Gotham River_.

_What about the four teenagers that Artemis saw slip down hear?_, Kaldur asked. _Did you see any sign of them?_

_Well, that's the thing_, M'Gann replied. _All four teenagers are there, but the two men on shore must have done something to them. They don't…look completely there anymore. They seem, almost zombie-like. The two men were herding them onto the boat and none of them protested_.

_What happened?_, Dick questioned. _Did you see anything?_

The Martian girl shook her head in the negative. _I did not see the two men do anything to the teenagers, no, but one of them was holding a jar of purple liquid_.

_We need to get that jar_, Wally broke in. _That's probably the drug the League was talking about_.

_Right_, Kaldur acknowledged. _M'Gann, were any of these men armed?_

_Not that I could see_, the redheaded girl replied.

_All right_, Kaldur said thoughtfully. _I am loath to put civilians in harm's way, but perhaps if we go with a direct assault we can finish this quickly without any unnecessary harm being done_.

_You mean just dash right in and attack?_, Artemis asked to clarify. _Isn't that a little…inelegant?_

_Inelegant it may be_, Kaldur replied. _But it is probably the most effective solution as we do not have very many places to hide once out in the open and this will likely take the men by surprise_.

Artemis shot a look towards Wally and shifted subtly closer. If they were going in blind they were going in together. Wally gave her a reassuring smile before turning his attention back to the well-lit cavern ahead.

_This is it_, Dick said over the link before he got up and dashed in.

The other five teens were not far behind the shortest member of the group as they all made a run for the light. Artemis made an immediate beeline for a man in a white overcoat when her eyes fell upon a corked beaker clutched in his hands. As M'Gann had said, it was full of a purplish liquid. The man went down easily enough with a swift kick that sent his legs out from beneath him. The beaker went flying into the air and Artemis felt a rush of air to her left. She looked up to see Wally looking down at the beaker, a small frown on her face.

"Problem?" she asked.

"Maybe," Wally replied in a distracted tone that meant he was thinking something through.

Suddenly a shot rang through the air and all six teens immediately turned their attention to the boat and the only man left standing. "Brats," he hissed as he lowered the shot gun from pointing into the sky. "You must be those League brats that've been causing problems. Well, let's just get you out of the way now, shall we?" He lowered the weapon in their general direction and all six teens tensed. He laughed harshly when he saw the teens prepare for the shot. "You think I'm gonna shot ya?" he sneered. "Nah, too messy. I'll let these guys take care of ya," he said with a gesture to the four teens on the boat. "Get 'em," he commanded.

All four teens suddenly snapped out of their trance and turned their attention to the confused teens on shore. For a moment no one moved, no one even said a word, and then suddenly all hell broke loose. Two of the three boys growled furiously and leapt from the boat to the shore, growing at least twice their size in the process. When the landed the ground trembled and the six teens already on shore had to fight to stay standing. The third boy blurred out of focus only to completely disappear after a moment. The girl remained on the boat but as she lifted her arms a sudden wind tore through the cavern and ripped at the six teens from Gotham Academy.

"The hell is going on?" Wally yelled over the wind. "Are they supers?"

"I don't know," Artemis replied, already fighting against the wind to Wally's side. "Either way, I'd say we're in for a rough fight."

Artemis' observation turned out to be a massive understatement. Surprisingly, the two powerhouses on their team were quickly overpowered by the two beefed up boys. Both Conner and Kaldur were sent flying into the stone walls of the cavern within minutes. They both scrambled to their feet as quickly as possible, but Conner had a pronounced limp and Kaldur was favoring his left arm. M'Gann was knocked out early on by something no one could see. Conner had used his infrared vision to discover that the third boy of the group of four teens was wandering around invisible. After the invisible boy had taken care of M'Gann he turned his attention to Wally and Artemis. The two best friends remained back-to-back, protecting each other as best they could. If being overpowered and fighting an enemy they couldn't see wasn't bad enough, the constant wind whipping through the cavern kept blowing dust into their eyes and small rocks pounded against them. Eventually the five teens grouped together around M'Gann, trying their hardest to watch each other's backs.

"Oh, that's just too precious," the man on the boat taunted. "You think grouping together is going to help you." His loud laughter reverberated across the rough stone walls until a harsh, high pitched ringing cut it off. The man frowned and fished in his pocket until he pulled out a small cellphone. Flipping it open, the man listened intently for a few moments before he mumbled a short "Understood." He slipped the electronic device back into his pocket and turned a taunting grin to the five teenagers still conscious. "Well, looks like you brats get a reprieve for now. Got orders to follow. Back to the boat," he barked at the three boys on shore. "Don't forget those pathetic eggheads." The two large boys shrunk back down to a normal size as they picked up the two scientists and the third boy blinked back into visibility. The zombie-like looks returned to their faces as the marched single-file up the gangplank. Once all three boys were on board the man started up the engine and sped out into the night waters.

The five teenagers still standing collapsed to the ground once they were sure no one else was coming after them. All six were beaten, bruised and battered and they had to wait for M'Gann to regain consciousness before they could leave.

"At least they left this behind," Wally said as he held up the beaker. "I need to get someplace to analyze this," he added as he paused to look around at the rest of the group. "And we all need some serious medical attention."

"Well," Dick began hesitantly. "There is Mount Justice. It's a small island a short way from Happy Harbor; not too far from here."

"Are we allowed in your little clubhouse?" Artemis asked with a raised eyebrow. "You sure you won't get in trouble?"

"As long as we're not caught we should be fine," Dick answered with a shrug. "Besides, you guys really helped us on this one, it's the least we could do."

Wally and Artemis exchanged hesitant glances but decided to take the offer regardless. They had to wait another ten minutes for M'Gann to return to the land of the awake and in pain, but once she was up they didn't have to wait long for her to call the bioship to them and be on their way.

The flight to Mount Justice was smooth and short, a blessing in disguise for the injured teens. It took some work and some trust from Wally and Artemis, but the four official members of Young Justice finally managed to sneak them into the Mount. The first order of business had been cleaning up and bandaging the more serious of their injuries. It turned out that a rock had clipped Dick in the side and the resulting gash required stitches. M'Gann had a nasty bump on the back of her head from when she had been knocked unconscious. Conner had a fracture in his leg, causing his limp, and Kaldur's left arm had been broken. Artemis was littered with slowly bleeding gashes across her arms and legs and she had somehow twisted her ankle quite badly. Wally ended up being the least injured of the six as his accelerated healing had already kicked in to begin knitting up the cuts spread over his body. It took some work, but after a good forty-five minutes all six of them were more or less fixed up.

"So, what do you say to taking a look at this stuff?" Wally asked as he drew the beaker from his pocket. "Shall we find out what it is?"

"We've come this far, haven't we?" Dick replied with a grin. "Why not?"

"Maybe because you were asked only to retrieve the drug and return it to the League," a dark voice replied from behind them. "And I don't remember instructing you to seek outside help for this mission either."

All six teens whipped around to find Batman emerging from the shadows of the hallway to their right. All four members of Young Justice looked appropriately repentant as they hung their heads and refused to make eye contact with Batman. Wally and Artemis, however, adopted more aggressive postures and attempted to stare the Bat down.

"You know, maybe if you'd given them a bit more information on what was going on, or hell, even better training on blending in that kind of situation than maybe they wouldn't have needed us," Wally retorted. "As it stands, they came back last night pretty beat up and we weren't going to let them walk back into that alone."

"So, they know your identities as well?" Batman questioned the Young Justice team. "What happened to keeping a low profile?"

"Hey!" Artemis interjected. "Don't blame them for that, it was all a complete accident. Besides, Wally's right. You sent them in blind and got them hurt. We helped them out and got the job done."

Batman was silent for a moment. "True," he conceded at last. "However that doesn't change the fact that you are neither part of the League nor part of this team. Their choices and your actions could have serious consequences for this ongoing investigation. The fact that you managed to pull this mission off does not outweigh the fact that they have put this mission in jeopardy by involving civilians, no matter how well trained or super powered those civilians are," he added pointedly.

"So you do know who we are," Wally replied with narrowed eyes.

"Of course I know," Batman said. "Which is why their choice to involve you in this mission is serious. Regardless of your feelings towards the League, neither one of you will let something go once you are made aware of it. Simply by knowing about this ongoing mission makes you a risk and a liability to its successful completion. If you could be trusted not to look into this further it wouldn't be as large a problem. However, it's highly likely that you will launch your own investigation once we let you go."

Artemis was quite for a moment, knowing full well that she couldn't lie convincingly enough at the moment to get Batman to believe they would do no such thing. In fact, she and Wally had been planning to look into everything on their own after they left tonight. "Fine," she admitted at last. "You caught us on that, but is there really anything you can do about it?"

Batman was silent as he regarded each teenager in turn. "This team will be disbanded and the two of you detained until further notice," he said at last. "It is clear that none of you are ready for this yet and we cannot let the two of you roam free while this mission is still open."

Loud shouts of outrage accompanied Batman's statement from the four members of Young Justice. "That's not fair!" Dick yelled. "Batman, you can't do that! We completed the mission and Wally and Artemis were an asset to its completion!"

Artemis and Wally were strangely quiet for a moment, just looking at each other. "This is where you wanted to put us when you tried to get us to join the League all those months ago, isn't it?" Wally finally asked.

"_If_ we join now, and that's a big if, will you leave the four of them alone and leave the team intact?" Artemis added.

"If you were a part of the team than there would be no reason for this incident to be problematic," Batman answered. "The team would still be functioning properly and there would be no reason to worry about any possible action the two of you might take."

Everyone fell quiet and watched as Artemis and Wally once again communicated with each other wordlessly. "Fine," Wally said, his eyes still locked with Artemis'. "We'll join the team, but I want it understood we're doing it for them," he added with a jerk of his thumb to the four teens behind him as he turned back to face Batman. "We've agreed to your invitation," he sneered. "So leave them alone."

"One other thing," Artemis added. "We'll follow orders when we're on League missions with the rest of the team, but you need to understand right now that us joining this team doesn't mean we're giving up on patrolling Gotham's slums at night. Any night we can, we'll be out there doing what we've always done. That is not negotiable," she finished as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Very well," Batman allowed after a moment's pause. "I suppose the League can live with that as long as you follow orders to the letter in your League missions."

"Whatever," Wally said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "If we're done here, it's going on two in the morning and I'm ready to crash." He walked nonchalantly around Batman and headed for the exit, Artemis close behind while the other four members of their new team followed hesitantly.

"Not so fast," Batman said. "Debriefing is promptly at ten tomorrow morning. I expect all six of you back here on time."

"Yeah, yeah," Artemis called over her shoulder. "Boring stuff tomorrow at ten, we'll be here."

After the senior members of the team showed the two new recruits how the transporters worked and got their biometric signatures keyed in, all six teens disappeared in a flash of bright white light, bound once again for Gotham.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Phew, chapter eight is done! It's over 8,000 words and seventeen pages in word. Consider the length an apology gift for being away for so long. So, Wally and Artemis are finally members of the team (though I think they were more or less forced into it rather than willingly joining…) and the plot of this story is now (somewhat) introduced! Well, I hope you all enjoyed chapter eight and please don't forget to leave a review; I love to know what you all think about the story.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN**: _IMPORTANT!_ First off, I'm really sorry guys. My ambition and inspiration for this story decided to run off together and go on an extended vacation without telling me. Without any new YJ episodes it was really hard to coax them back. However, re-watching some of the old episodes and reading your comments finally got them to come back. Now, on to the important stuff. I've just about finished my own original work and I'm getting ready to start sending out inquiry letters to get it published. I was wondering if it would be all right with you guys if I used some of your comments and reviews in my inquiry letter. If you'd rather I didn't I completely understand, just let me know in a review or shoot me a PM. Now, what you've all been waiting for, on to chapter nine!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Young Justice or any of its characters.

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><p>Having to get up early on a Sunday morning to go to a boring meeting left Artemis less than enthused. Wally had ended up having to come get her up and do her hair for her while she tried to get herself to wake up. She had made it maybe two blocks before she stopped and decided that she didn't need to go to the stupid meeting anyway. Wally rolled his eyes and shook his head at her, smiling the entire time, before crouching down and letting her climb on his back.<p>

"You're getting way too used to this you know," Wally chuckled. "I'm beginning to think this is the only reason you hang out with me."

"Well, you do make a good pillow," Artemis replied against his neck before she nuzzled in further to block out the light. "So yeah, that is why I keep you around."

"I could just drop you, you know?" Wally stated idly. "Wouldn't be that hard; I'd only have to let go and you'd be down on concrete before you know it."

"You wouldn't dare," Artemis said matter-of-factly. "You know I'd beat you six ways from Sunday if you did. Now shut up, I'm tired and pillows aren't supposed to talk."

"They aren't supposed to walk either," Wally retorted with a chuckle. "And yet here we are. But I get the point, get some more beauty rest princess, you need it."

Artemis only responded by lifting one lazy hand and smacking Wally upside the head before mumbling another tired and slightly grouchy "Shut up."

The two friends met up with the rest of the Young Justice team just outside the gates to Gotham Academy and followed them wordlessly to the hidden transporter that would take them back to Mount Justice. The journey wasn't long, though it was rather quiet as the teens (minus Artemis who was, by this point, sound asleep on Wally's back) were still trying to wake up from the late night they had the night before. They made it to the transporter and stepped through, instantly crossing states to end up at their headquarters.

As it turned out, the team ended up at Mount Justice a good twenty minutes before the mentors even bothered to show up. The wait led to a still slightly groggy Artemis to begin cussing them out under her breath which in turn just pulled her further and further into angry annoyance as the minutes continued to tick by. Wally did his best to remain the calmer of the two, it wouldn't be a good idea for both of them to get pissed and continually feed of each other's anger, but as the minute hand of the wall clock progressed steadily around the circular surface and the older heroes had yet to show up he found his own face forming into a dark scowl as he glared heatedly at the doors to the conference room the rest of the team had shuffled them into. He looked down at one point and mildly noted that his foot had begun tapping so fast it was becoming a red and white sneakered blur.

"You can move, I'll give you that kid," a voice suddenly said right behind him. "You're moving your foot quickly anyway, I suppose that suggests some sort of fine-tuned control."

Wally rocketed to his feet and spun around only to come face-to-face with the Flash. He only just managed to keep himself from falling backwards into the table and exclaiming loudly at the sudden intrusion into his space without his notice. "Uh, thanks?" he said at last after taking a short moment to compose himself. The soft whooshing of the door had him diverting his attention from the red suited hero in time to see Batman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary and Red Tornado walk in.

"You're late," Artemis groused as she rose to stand next to Wally. She glared accusingly at each hero in turn.

"That would be my fault," Green Arrow admitted jovially, though somewhat sheepishly. "Had a small problem to deal with in Star City this morning, I'm afraid. Unfortunately, it's become slightly more difficult to stop these criminals without a sidekick these days."

Wally idly noticed the other teens at the table exchanged slightly pained looks at the mention of Green Arrow's former sidekick before the expression was carefully schooled from their faces. Curious, he resolved to corner them about it later and find out what had happened. In them mean time, there were apparently glaringly obvious problems that needed to be addressed. "Artemis and I aren't sidekicks," he said aloud. "She and I are only doing this because they aren't either," he added with a jerk of his thumb towards the other teens. "This team they've got going more than proves that and we're simply making sure you can't break it up." He eyed each of the adults in the room carefully before continuing. "That said, Artemis and I still have our own duties to get to each night."

Artemis grinned wickedly when she saw the confused looks that passed between the adult heroes. "Bats didn't tell you?" she asked almost gleefully. "Wally and I are on the team, sure, but that doesn't mean that what we were doing before is suddenly going to stop. Whoever is 'mentoring' us," she said, putting air quotes around the word, "gets one night a week of our help in their city."

"Either a Tuesday or a Wednesday," Wally added before anyone else could say anything else.

"We may need more time than that," Green Arrow began carefully, a hesitant smile on his lips. "At least two days a week. One day to work with you on the streets and one day to train you how to use your abilities."

"I was under the impression that training was Black Canary's job," Wally replied, pointing to the woman in question. "And apparently she does that every weekend unless we've been deployed on a mission. Besides," he added with a dismissive shrug. "Artemis and I are already trained. I doubt you have any more to teach us that we don't already know."

"So you're telling me you've already mastered your powers?" the Flash asked skeptically. "I know things you don't, kid. Stuff you need to learn if you're going to be a part of this team."

"I've been learning pretty well on my own," Wally challenged. "It's really all a matter of figuring out the physics of how my abilities work and applying them. Even an idiot can figure it out, obviously," he added with a smirk at the Flash.

The Flash looked annoyed and then mildly impressed for a moment before he sighed and shook his head. "That may be so kid, but that doesn't mean that the rules are just going to change. You two are underage supers and you need a mentor if you're going to be in the Justice League."

Artemis opened her mouth the throw back an angry retort before Green Arrow cut her off. "However," he interjected. "We do still recognize that the two of you have other, established obligations as well. Perhaps we can take you on the streets with us one night a week and then we'll see if we can take time from Black Canary's training to work with you individually on the weekends. That is, if you do not have any issues with that," he added to the woman in black.

"We'll see," Black Canary replied. "I'd like to see what they can do before I'll let them cut early from combat training. If they're not at least up to par then I'm not letting you take them."

"Fair enough," Green Arrow nodded. "We'll wait for your assessment and work out a schedule from there."

"We can get that done now, if you'd like," Black Canary answered before turning to Wally and Artemis. "Well? How about it you two?" she asked with a slight smirk on her face. "Feel up to me wiping the floor with you?"

"Well, I suppose you could get that lucky," Artemis replied with a cocky smirk of her own placed firmly on her face. "I seriously doubt it, but I suppose I'm willing to let you try."

Black Canary eyed Artemis for a moment, eyebrow raised and arms crossed over her chest, before she turned to Wally. "Well?" she demanded. "What about you? Think you can take me to?"

"We'll just have to see I guess," Wally answered with an unconcerned shrug. "I'm no pushover, if that's what you're thinking, and I won't pull any of my punches just cause you're female."

"Good answer," Black Canary nodded approvingly. "Well, let's get this over with kiddos," she added as she turned her back on them and walked away. "Follow me and we'll see who can best who."

Artemis looked over to Wally and rolled her eyes as she made a quick gesture in the direction Black Canary had gone. Wally simply shook his head and offered her a small smile before he shrugged his shoulders once again. Artemis smiled wryly at him in return. With one last shake of her head, Artemis turned on her heel and followed after the older woman.

The two teens trailed after the woman in black through the hallways hollowed out and cut through the mountain base. Though the floor was polished and worn smooth by years of use, the walls remained hard rough stone; jagged edges jutting out to scrape and cut should anyone get too close. They finally stopped in a large cavern, lights hanging high overhead, and a large lit white circle glowing in the center of the floor.

"This is the training room," Black Canary announced. "We spare over there," she added, pointing to the large white circle. "It's electronic and will register a fail for the person that hits the floor. Now, who's first?"

Artemis stepped forward immediately, leaving Wally to watch from the sidelines. "So, what are you guys doing here?" he asked as the other four teens on the team slipped up next to him. "I thought this was just a test for Artemis and me."

"Oh, it is," Dick confirmed. "It's just that none of us have ever beaten her ourselves; we usually get our asses handed to us," he added with a snort. "We have a vested interest in seeing how this all turns out. I assume they're just here to see how well you do, or don't do as the case may be," he finished as he waved vaguely towards the adult heroes across the cavern.

"Mmm," Wally hummed in response as he watched the match between his best friend and the older female unfolded.

Artemis hung back for a moment, her stance low to the ground as she watched the older woman carefully. Though she had put on a confident front earlier, she began to reevaluate her earlier opinion. Black Canary moved with a sense of awareness and surety as she and Artemis circled each other.

Black Canary watched the younger girl in return with eyes that seemed to take in every tiny movement and immediately file it away, processing all the information in an attempt to figure her younger opponent out.

When Artemis had finally grown tired of waiting and watching she sprang forward, launching herself into a sweeping kick, hoping to off balance the older woman. Instead, Black Canary leapt over her legs and landed in a front handspring to put more distance between Artemis and herself. She suddenly rushed back in with a high kick to Artemis' head that the younger girl managed to block. She quickly ducked below the kick, catching Black Canary's leg on her shoulder and locking it in place with her hands around the older woman's ankle. Artemis paused long enough to smirk at Black Canary's slightly shocked and impressed expression before shifting her weight and twisting to throw the other woman. She hadn't been expecting Black Canary to roll with the throw and bring her other leg up in a kick to her side. Artemis managed to cobble together a hasty block, but in her haste she was left unprepared and only succeeded in causing her to stumble to the side from the force of the kick.

Black Canary quickly took advantage of the situation and swept Artemis' own legs out from beneath her. Artemis felt herself falling and only just managed to twist and get her hands beneath her, effectively stopping her fall just short of landing bodily on the circle of light. She'd managed to stop herself from failing, but she knew it was only a momentary reprieve. She had left herself in a compromising position and wouldn't be able to get out of it fast enough.

"Not bad, not bad," Black Canary commented from above her. "You are very well trained, I'll admit, but a little more work couldn't hurt you." Without any warning she kicked Artemis' hands out from below her, sending her crashing to the floor.

A loud "Artemis; Fail" sounded around the room as the girl sprung to her feet and glared at the older woman. "A lucky break," she growled before she stalked off the platform and marched over to Wally. She pressed her hand firmly to the side Black Canary had kicked and gave her best friend a pointed look. "She kicks hard," she told him simply.

Wally looked over to the blonde girl next to him. "You all right?" he asked her, his lips pulled into a frown.

"Fine," Artemis nodded in reply, though she knew Wally didn't believe her. "Just get over there and get your own assed whipped then we can bandage each other up, like usual."

"Sure thing," Wally chuckled as he made his way to the platform. He stopped at the edge and shot her a brief smile before stepping up onto the lit circle, all traces of humor cleared from his face.

"Well, let's see what you've got then," Black Canary told him once Wally was standing before her. "I'll warn you now, just because you can speed around this room doesn't mean you have any advantage over me."

"I don't usually use my powers when I'm sparring," Wally replied with an unconcerned shrug, though he threw a smirk over his shoulder when he heard Artemis scoff loudly at him. "Well, you're the exception to that rule cause you're just special," he teased her.

"And yet I still manage to win," Artemis returned without missing a beat.

"You two can settle this between yourselves later," Black Canary interjected. "Right now I need to evaluate Zippy here to see if he's any good."

Wally's own match with the older woman didn't last much longer than Artemis' had. He had managed to get in a few good hit of his own, he even put Black Canary on the defensive at one point, but in the end he was subjected to being slammed to the floor after being flipped over the older hero's shoulder.

"You were doing well," she told him as he lay on the floor trying to get air back into his lungs. "At least, right up until you came at me from behind, not a smart move that."

"Whatever," Wally managed to breathe out as he hauled himself to his feet and limped over to Artemis. Early on in the match Black Canary had cornered him and twisted his ankle, effectively taking his speed out of the match. Though it hadn't bothered him much when the adrenaline was coursing through his system, the pain came back with a vengeance now that he was coming down off of that battle high.

"I'm going to hazard a couple of guesses here," Black Canary continued as she eyed the two teens. "You usually spare together, right? And you were trained by the same person."

"Maybe," Artemis replied as she slung Wally's arm about her shoulders in an attempt to take more weight off of his ankle. "What is that to you?"

"Nothing," Black Canary replied with a slight shake of her head. "It just shows. You both have practically the same fighting style, which probably accounts for a good portion of your practically flawless teamwork."

"So?" Green Arrow asked as he, Batman and the Flash walked over. "What is you're assessment?"

Black Canary remained silent for a moment, just watching the two teenagers regard her with coolly dispassionate eyes. "They're good," she said at last. "Very good actually; very well trained. There are a few spots that need to be touched up. Wally, for one, needs to keep his guard up so as not to let his abilities be disabled so early on, but I suspect that has more to do with how long he's had his powers rather than his training. Artemis needs a little more work on not allowing her confidence to blind her to her surroundings, but that's easy enough to fix. All in all, I'd say as long as you give me at least four hours on Saturdays and Sundays with them, you can have them when you need them over the weekends."

"Good to know," Green Arrow nodded his approval. "That just leaves what day to work with you during the week."

"I'll take the kid with me on Tuesdays," the Flash spoke up. "I could use the extra help in Central City."

"Hmm, I think Wednesdays would be better over in Star City," Green Arrow added.

"Wait a minute!" Artemis exploded. "Don't we get a say in this? You'll be splitting us up for two nights a week!"

"You work well as a team," Batman spoke up for the first time that day. "No one is denying that. But you need to learn to work independently as well and that can't happen if the two of you are constantly joined at the hip. You're on a larger team now and you'll need to readjust and find new places in it."

"What are you getting at?" Artemis hissed. "If you're trying to split us up, it isn't going to work. We've been together since second grade and that's not going to change just because some nosy vigilante says otherwise."

"Let's get one thing straight here," Wally said lowly, a dangerous hint to his voice. "We'll do the missions, we'll work with the team and who knows, we might even become better friends with the rest of them, but that doesn't change anything between Artemis and me. She comes first and foremost in my mind and she always will. If it ever comes down to it, and the team is in danger, she will always be the first person I will save, no matter what. There's a reason our teamwork is so flawless and you'd be an idiot to split us up."

"And the feeling is entirely mutual," Artemis growled even as she carefully readjusted Wally's arm across her shoulders. "We're 'joined at the hip', as you put it, and it's going to stay that way, whether you like it or not. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got wounds to bandage up." Without another glance back the pair helped each other through the electronic doors and to the medical bay to tend to wounds and to clean out cuts. The other four members of the Young Justice team watched after them for a quiet moment before they filed quickly from the room to offer whatever help they could.

"Well, that went over well," the Flash said sarcastically as he moved to stand next to Batman. "They're in this together for the long haul man, so I'd suggest you just accept that and revamp whatever plans you had."

"And what makes you think I wanted to split them apart in the first place?" Batman questioned.

"You told them to learn to work separately and to find new places in the team," Aquaman pointed out. "That sounds very much like you were trying to pry them apart."

"They need to learn to work more effectively as solo agents and as members of a larger team," Batman returned. "So far, they've never been apart and all of their strategies rely heavily on being able to work together. That won't always work in this team and the sooner they learn that and adjust accordingly, the better."

"So you're not trying to split them up?" Black Canary asked.

"Of course not, they'd make a very effective covert ops team," Batman answered. "But despite what they believe now, they won't always have each other at their backs. It's time they learned that," he added with a note of finality before the Dark Knight walked out of the room.

Wally and Artemis managed to drag each other along to the medical bay and immediately went about bandaging each other up. Artemis helped her red-headed best friend onto the small medical bed before wobbling over to grab an icepack from the mini-fridge near the medicine cabinet.

"Here, put this on your ankle," Artemis commanded as she walked back over to Wally and handed him the frozen pack. She took a seat next to him on the small, uncomfortable bed and pressed a hand firmly to her side. She hissed out a sharp breath and winced slightly at the contact.

Wally looked over to the blonde girl next to him and frowned. "How bad?" he asked simply even as he wrapped the icepack to his throbbing ankle with long strips of gauze.

"Not sure," Artemis replied even as she poked around her wounded side before hissing once again. "I don't think anything is broken at least."

Wally's frown deepened and he turned himself on the bed to give Artemis his full attention. "All right, shirt off. Let's take a look," he commanded with a quick gesture of his hand.

Artemis nodded once and began to pull her dark green t-shirt over her head. She couldn't stop herself from wincing and growling the entire way as the movement pulled at her side, but she finally managed to get the thin material off.

"It's bruised," Wally said at last after he had bent closer to her side to get a better look. "And I mean really bruised. I'm honestly surprised you didn't notice it until now."

Artemis shrugged her shoulder on her uninjured side. "You didn't notice your ankle until you were done with your fight," she pointed out. "Pain is just something we've learned to tolerate and ignore until we're at the point we can fix it."

"True," Wally replied as he sat back, a crooked and wry smile on his lips. "So what are we going to do?"

Artemis didn't even have to ask what he had meant. "We don't have much of a choice," she admitted grudgingly. "For now, I guess we'll just have to deal with it. You'll be in Central City on Tuesday nights and I'll be in Star City on Wednesdays."

"I don't like it," Wally scowled. "But I'm not seeing any other options."

"Neither am I," Artemis replied. "Just promise me you'll call or text every night you get back and if I don't answer then come over and wake me up so I know you're all right," she added solemnly.

"Only if you promise the same," Wally responded, holding his hand out.

"Forever and always," Artemis promised as she took his hand.

"Forever and always," Wally echoed back.

"Uh, if you two are done in there, Bats is looking for us," Dick interrupted from the doorway. He raised a hand to stop the two teens from getting up before pointing to something on the bed. "You, uh, might want to put your shirt back on though Artemis."

The girl in question looked behind her to the small lump of green fabric and down to her deeply purple side and frowned slightly. A small, amused and yet exasperated sigh from Wally was all the warning she had before she found her shirt being dragged over her head and her arms being carefully led through her sleeves.

"Thanks," Artemis said with a small smile to the red head.

"Anytime," Wally replied with a smile of his own and an unconcerned shrug. "If you'd like to return the favor, you can be my own, personal, walking and talking crutch till my ankle is done healing," he added with a wide grin.

"I should have known it would be something like that," Artemis teased with a laugh. "Yeah, all right; sling your arm over and let's go find out what Bats needs us for."

Dick watched the whole exchange from the doorway and smiled to himself. If Batman thought forcing them to work apart would break them apart then he was in for a very rude awakening. "We need to get to the mission briefing room," he said out loud when the two friends appeared ready to leave the medical bay. "It's not that far of a walk, if you follow me."

Artemis wrapped an arm around Wally's waist and braced herself as much of his weight was suddenly shifted onto her. "Lead the way, Bird Boy, we're right behind you."

Dick raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but otherwise did not comment. Instead, he turned from the room and started off down the hallways.

In truth, the mission briefing room wasn't terribly far from the medical bay, but with both Artemis and Wally moving slightly slower than normal it took a little longer to get there. By the time they walked through the electronic doors they found the entire team already there, along with all of the adult heroes present in the base. Black Canary shot both teens an apologetic smile and the pair simply shrugged it off in return. They were firm believers that if you didn't get at least a little banged up in a match than it was obvious that you weren't trying hard enough.

"You're all here," Batman began once the teens had taken their seats. "This mission won't officially begin until next weekend, but as you'll be leaving the country I thought I'd give you a heads up so you can get yourselves prepared. You'll be heading into the jungles and back water areas of South America on this one. We've had reports strange and violent gang activity in the area that doesn't add up with the League. There are reports of sudden, violent outbursts between gangs that had once had long standing peace agreements. We've also managed to pick up reports of what sounds like the use of super powers in these gang fights. Most, if not all, of these fights also seem to break out among the younger generation in these gangs; the teenagers. We're sending you down there on recon and infiltration. Your job is to find out what is causing this and, if possible, get in and shut it down. If it does turn out to be linked back to your previous mission in the club than bring back any information you can. That is all. When you report on Friday night for your flight out you will be further debriefed and given more details. Until then, rest up and be ready to move out." With only a slight nod in their direction, Batman turned and left the room, the older heroes following after him.

"You know, I think that's the most I've ever heard him say," Artemis said thoughtfully. "I didn't know Bats was capable of saying that much in one sitting."

"Careful," Wally warned playfully. "You might just jinx us and next mission we get we'll be flying in blind because Batman has reached his monthly quota on how many words he can say."

"Come on," Dick said with a roll of his eyes as he stood. "It's not that bad, now let's get back to Gotham Academy. I don't know about the rest of you, but I still have homework I've been studiously neglecting to do."

The other five teens made small noises of agreement and the six of them made their way back to the teleporters. It wasn't long before they were back in Gotham, each seated in various places in M'Gann's and Artemis' dorm, all working on weekend assignments they had been allowing themselves to put off until the last minute.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Once again, my apologies for being so very late with this chapter. Hopefully, with new episodes (finally!) coming out I can manage to rope my ambition and inspiration for this back completely. On another note, I finally have a job that keeps me fairly busy during the week. My plan is to update this story every other weekend from now on, alternating with my Inuyasha story so I'm updating every weekend. That should be it for this note, I think. Please don't forget to leave a review! I love hearing what you think of this and where you think this story will go


	10. Chapter 10

**AN**: Okay, so I know I said this would be updated every other week but inspiration for this chapter came rather quickly and wouldn't leave me alone until I got it out (not that you guys mind, I'm sure :P). Thank you for all the reviews and favorites, I'm glad to see you're all still enjoying this story. Oh, and Kyer, in answer to your question on why they're working with their mentors on different nights, it's because if they were out on the same night their attention would be divided between focusing on the task at hand and worrying about each other. Their mentors knew this and figured it would be easier taking one at a time since they knew they wouldn't work in Central Gotham without the other person to back them up. I meant to put that in the last chapter and completely forgot in the course of writing, my apologies. I hope that explanation helped clear that up. Now, on to chapter ten!

**Warning**: I feel I should warn you all that it might get slightly…gruesome at a point in this chapter. A bit graphic I suppose. If any of you are faint of heart I suggest you read with caution.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Young Justice or any of its characters. (Though I was excited to finally see a new episode, even if it was just Superboy and Miss Martian).

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><p>Before they were even fully ready for it, Tuesday night rolled around and Wally and Artemis were facing down their first night apart. They had avoided talking about it at all on Sunday or the night before while they were out on patrol, but now the reality of the situation left them with little choice.<p>

Artemis had snuck out of her dorm room shortly after lights out was called and students began making their way to bed across the campus. That had given them a couple of hours to talk before Wally had to take off for Central City. For the most part, they had just laid side-by-side on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and talking about whatever came to mind. They stayed like that until a soft beeping noise sounded through the dark room, finally forcing Wally to get up and get ready.

"Promise me you won't go out on patrol on your own tonight, please," Wally asked as he finished suiting up and pulled on his boots.

"I promise," Artemis answered with a roll of her eyes and a teasing smile on her lips. "For the hundredth time," she added. Wally had asked her to promise not to leave campus periodically through the night since she had climbed through his window and increasingly more often since the alarm had gone off.

"I get it," Wally said with a tired sigh and a wry smile on his face. "I'm just worried about you."

"I know," Artemis replied, her smile softer and more pronounced. "But it's yourself you should be worrying about, not me," she told him before she stepped closer and pulled him into a tight hug. "Just make sure you come back to me in one whole, still alive and breathing piece. I'll let scrapes and minor bruises slide, but don't come back broken and bloody."

Wally's arms automatically wrapped around Artemis' lower back and locked her securely against his chest. "I'll come back safe," he whispered into her hair.

"Promise?" she asked, her voice vibrating against his shoulder and neck where she had tucked her head.

"Promise," he returned and held her just a little closer.

They stood like that for a moment longer, not a word passing between them, until the glowing numbers of Wally's alarm clock told them it was ten minutes till eleven.

"You should get going," Artemis said as she finally stepped away. "You need to be in Central City by eleven anyway, right?"

"It won't take me ten minutes to get there, Arty," Wally teased. "I'm quite a bit faster than that you know."

"Oh whatever," Artemis huffed out with another roll of her eyes before she shooed him towards his windows. "I'm crashing here tonight," she informed him as she made her way over to his bed. "I don't feel like walking all the way back to my dorm now so you'll just have to deal."

Wally chuckled to himself and shook his head slightly. "Whatever you say, princess. That just means my bed will be warm when I get back."

"And who says you get your bed back?" Artemis replied with a scoff as she burrowed her way beneath the warm covers on Wally's bed.

"You'll just have to learn to share before I get back then," Wally returned easily, a fond smile on his lips. "Sleep well Artemis," he added as he opened the windows to his balcony.

"Wake me when you get back," Artemis reminded him before a gust of wind told her the red headed boy had sped off.

When Impulse skidded to a halt in Central City a few seconds later he only had a short moment to look around before the Flash zipped up next to him.

"Black?" the red suited hero asked. "Hmm, not sure how well that will go over with the color scheme I've got going on. How do you feel about yellow and red?" he asked as he considered Impulse carefully, his hand on his chin.

"Black and grey," Impulse corrected, giving a quick glance down at his suit. "And this works for me, I'm not changing it."

"What about the name?" the Flash asked jovially, not at all deterred by Impulse's dismissal. "Impulse isn't bad, but what do you think of Kid Flash?"

Impulse raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Perhaps, if I was five. As it stands, I'm sixteen and I've got a hero name that doesn't sound demeaning."

"All right then," the Flash said with a chuckle. "Let's get moving, huh? Maybe I can teach you a thing or two about your powers while we're out."

Impulse shrugged passively and followed after his mentor. They spent much of the night zipping around town getting the teenager accustomed to the city. Flash would occasionally point out important landmarks or areas of note as they sped through. Through the course of their exploration they ended up stopping a couple muggings and one armed robbery before the night was out. Impulse took a bullet to the arm during the robbery and the Flash set about looking him over once they found a quiet moment away from the police and reporters.

"You all right kid?" he asked after seeing that the crooks had been locked away in the back of a police car.

"Lucky shot," Impulse replied, already disinfecting his wound. "It just grazed me; it'll be healed in no time. I just don't know how they managed that shot in the first place."

"Unfortunately, that comes with the territory of being the guardian in this city," the Flash answered, a wry grin on his face. "Even the normal criminals know what to expect from a speedster and can plan accordingly. It probably didn't help that you're new to this city either."

"Wouldn't be the first time I've been shot," Impulse replied with a dismissive shrug. "My guess is it probably won't be the last either. Besides, it heals quickly enough."

"I'd be careful how much you rely on that ability kid," the Flash warned. "It's handy, I'll admit, but it can't heal everything. If you die, that's it; it can't bring you back. That said, it also has the downside of tiring you out faster. It draws heavily from your stored energy and the worse the wound, the more it has to take."

"I'm aware," Impulse replied even as the torn flesh of his arm knit itself back together. "But thanks for the heads up."

"No problem kid," the Flash answered as he ruffled Impulse's hair. "Think you're good for one last run through the city? Maybe we can work on getting you better at phasing yourself through solid matter along the way."

"We can give it a shot at least," Impulse answered.

"Not very expressive, are you kid?" the Flash asked thoughtfully.

"It takes time," Impulse answered. "I don't open up to others until I know I can trust them."

The Flash was silent for a moment, just watching his younger counterpart thoughtfully. "Well, it's ultimately up to you kid," he began. "But I'll let you know you can trust me."

"Perhaps," Impulse said, though a slight smile was on his lips for a brief moment. "And my name is Impulse," he added. "I'm not a kid and I don't appreciate you constantly calling me that."

"All right then Impulse," the Flash said, stretching carefully even as a smirk spread across his face. "How about we do this last run through and get speeding your way back to your girl, huh?" Without another word, Flash took off leaving Impulse to quickly follow after him.

"She's not my girl," Impulse mumbled to himself even as a slight blush dusted his cheeks. "Not like that anyway, even if she possibly is sleeping in my bed."

Sure enough, when Wally returned later that night Artemis was still buried beneath his covers, sound asleep. He allowed himself a moment to smile softly at the blonde girl holding one of his pillows close to her chest before he set about getting out of his uniform. On moments like these, he found himself thinking on their relationship and just what it really was. However, fear of losing what he had with his closest friend inevitably led him to abandoning that train of thought and focus on the task at hand. It was only once he was in his pajamas that he gently nudged Artemis awake.

"You back?" she asked groggily as she shifted out of the way so Wally could climb into his own bed as well.

"Obviously," Wally teased as he slid beneath the covers.

"Oh shut up," Artemis grumbled as she relinquished her hold on his pillow when Wally tugged on it gently. "Are you hurt?" she asked while she waited for him to settle himself in the bed. The second he had stopped moving and shifting around she snuggled up to him, wrapping her arms around him and using his chest as her pillow. She smiled contentedly when Wally's arm came around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer to him.

"Nothing serious," Wally finally answered Artemis' question once they were both comfortable. "It was a pretty quiet night."

"Good," Artemis mumbled before yawning widely and letting her eyes drift closed. "Night."

"Night," Wally replied with a soft squeeze of her shoulders as they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Wednesday night went much the same way, with the exception of Wally running Artemis into Star City for her night with her new mentor and promising to pick her up when Green Arrow finally let her go for the night. Green Arrow had given Wally an odd look when the teenager had come speeding up to him with Artemis, fully uniformed, on his back.

"You're taking a risk, being around two heroes in just your civilian clothing," Green Arrow had warned the young speedster.

"Then I'll wear goggles from now on," Wally returned with an unconcerned shrug. He gave Artemis a quick hug and reminded her to call him the second she was free before he sped back off for Gotham Academy.

"You two are very close," Green Arrow observed after Wally had left.

"Really? Is it that obvious?" Artemis asked sarcastically as she marcher her way past her assigned mentor. "And here I thought we were hiding it so well."

"You're quite the spitfire," Green Arrow chuckled. "Makes me almost wonder how that poor boy deals with it. Then again, he's no pushover himself, even if he does appear a tad...unemotional."

Artemis spun around and glared at the older hero. "Are you done?" she growled. "Cause I was under the impression that I'm here to 'learn something', not discuss my personal life," she sneered. "And don't you ever insult Wally again, understand?" she added in a low and threatening growl.

Green Arrow held up his hands in surrender. "Easy, easy. I didn't mean any offense; simply an observation. Your boy doesn't seem the type to open up easily to other people and he stays very...in control of himself more often than not," the older hero finished delicately.

"One of us has to be," Artemis replied with a dismissive shrug after a moment's pause. "It helps that one of us can keep a level head all the time and he's got his own reasons for staying detached from others," she added with another glare. "Now are we actually going to be patrolling or can I go ahead and call Wally back to pick me up?"

"All right, all right," Green Arrow chuckled again. "Follow me and we'll get you used to this city in no time. In time, we'll get you heading back home with your boy."

"He's not my boyfriend," Artemis said shortly, though she was both puzzled and slightly concerned when she felt almost like she was lying as she said it. "We've been together for a long time and we've promised we'll never leave each other, that's all," she added, hoping telling the truth would make the odd feeling left behind from her previous statement disappear.

"I see," Green Arrow replied, quite obviously trying, and failing, to hide his mirth at the response. "Well, regardless, let's get through this night in one piece and we'll get you back to your best friend in no time."

Artemis nodded, slightly suspicious of her mentor's amusement of her answer, but decided to let it go when she found that the older hero actually had some useful tips and pointers that would help with her archery skills. By the end of the night she couldn't quite say that she liked her mentor, but she was certainly willing to be less hostile towards him. Assuming, of course, that he didn't do something incredibly idiotic that would make her revise her opinion.

Thursday night returned to the normal routine of the pair sneaking off campus and back into Central Gotham to do what they had come to do best. By Friday they were packing overnight bags and meeting the rest of the team to take off for South America as soon as school let out.

"So how are we getting there?" Wally asked, looking around the empty hanger of Mount Justice where the six teens stood waiting. "We taking Wonder Woman's invisible jet?"

"Actually, we'll be taking my bio-ship," M'Gann replied sheepishly as it shimmered into visibility in front of them. "We just have to wait to get the coordinates from Batman and any other mission details we need before we head out."

"Great, more waiting," Artemis bit out as she rolled her eyes and let her duffel bag fall to the cold stone at her feet.

"Patience is a virtue," Dick sing-songed, a smirk firmly in place on his face.

"And I'm no saint," Artemis returned easily. "If you want patience, talk to Wally," she added with a jerk of her thumb to the red-head slumped against the wall. A frown suddenly pulled at the blonde girl's lips when she took a good look at her best friend. He was leaning heavily against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, head down and eyes closed. "Wally?" she asked as she approached him. "Are you okay?"

Wally raised his head and blinked owlishly at his best friend for a moment. "Tired," he finally mumbled sleepily.

Artemis regarded him silently, looking him over for any wounds they might have missed the night before. They had stayed out later than usual Thursday night in an effort to make up for missing Tuesday, Wednesday and now Friday night. By the time they had dragged themselves in they were both bleary eyed and exhausted. But Wally seemed more than just tired; he almost seemed run down. Suddenly it hit her and her eyes narrowed. "Wally?" she began. "Have you eaten anything yet today?"

Wally shook his head groggily. "No time," he mumbled. "Missed my alarm and rushed to get to class. Slept through lunch, couldn't get dinner."

"You need to eat something," Artemis stated, the frown on her face growing more pronounced as she looked around the hanger. "Anything to snack on?"

Wally shook his head. "Been too busy to restore my cupboards."

"Hey!" Artemis called to her teammates. "Do any of you have anything to eat? Wally's running low and needs to recharge."

"I've got a couple of chocolate bars," Dick said, stepping up with two rectangular foiled objects. "Will that be enough? I think Miss M has a meal packed in the ship for the six of us. I'm pretty sure she took your eating habits into account."

"These should be enough to hold me over," Wally replied, reaching out for to proffered bars. "Whatever she's got pack will probably help me charge back up. Food and sleep help."

"It had better; you'll be hitting the ground running on this one," Batman said as he walked in. "Ideally, you'd all be operating at 100 percent. However, as that isn't the case, I'd suggest that you remain alert and vigilant on this one. Don't leave yourselves open for rookie mistakes. That said, maintain radio silence at all times. It has not been confirmed whether this group has monitoring devices or not, but it's best to assume that they can listen in on any radio signal communications. Your coordinates have already been uploaded to the ship's mainframe. You have this weekend and this weekend only to complete this mission; you are expected back here no later than ten o'clock Sunday night. Good luck."

"Huh, not flying as blind as I thought," Wally joked to Artemis as the six teens climbed aboard the bio-ship. After scarfing down the two candy bars he was looking considerably better. "Though I notice not a lot of what we've been told has any real, helpful value for this mission."

"Well, we'll just have to watch our backs then, won't we?" Artemis replied. "You watch mine, I watch yours?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Wally asked with a brief but genuine smile on his face. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The flight into South America turned out to be an eight hour flight, even factoring in the bio-ship's ability to fly faster than commercial airliners or jets. Due to Wally's need to get something more into his system than two candy bars, the teens ate the meal M'Gann had packed relatively early. Shortly after Wally had finished his larger-than-average portion he promptly tipped his seat back, slung an arm over his eyes and fell right to sleep.

"I'll never understand how he can just tune everything out and go to sleep like that," Dick said with an amused shake of his head.

"It's a special talent of his," Artemis replied with a shrug. "He's been doing it since we were kids. I'm pretty sure he could sleep through an earthquake if he was tired enough."

Wally mumbled something unintelligible in response and rolled over in his sleep. Artemis smiled fondly at her best friend and went in back to grab him a blanket. She tossed the material over him and settled into her own seat, ready to talk over the mission with the others, intent on filling Wally in when he woke up.

Before Wally was even really ready for it, Artemis was shaking him awake and telling him to suit up. He grumbled under his breath but stood from his seat and stretched, grabbed his suit from Artemis' hands and made his way to the back of the ship. In less than two seconds later he was back up front, dressed all in black and grey. The ship landed outside a small town and Miss Martian quickly cloaked it after they had disembarked.

"I think the first thing we should do is head into town and ask questions, see if any of the townsfolk know anything," Aqualad began.

"That's all well and good," Artemis snorted. "But only if one of you knows Spanish. I seriously doubt we're going to find many English speakers this far into the country and in the more backwater area too."

"I know a bit of Spanish," Robin piped up. "Took conversational Spanish in middle school," he added with a grin.

As it turned out, the need to understand the local language was a moot point. No sooner had the six teens started their way through the thick jungle to the village than screams split the air ahead of them. Without a second though, they burst into action. Superboy took off running with Miss Martian trailing close behind in the air. Aqualad darted through the trees behind his two teammates while Robin did his ninja thing and leapt through the canopy above, using his grappling hook to get through faster. Impulse paused long enough for Artemis to climb onto his back, made sure he had a firm hold on her legs and her arms were locked around his neck, before he took off like a shot, nimbly dodging through the jungle growth until he burst out through the other side. He finally skidded to a halt at a hilltop just outside the village below.

The sight that met his eyes was five teenagers, all around fourteen to seventeen, terrorizing the villagers. One boy shot fire through his hands at a fleeing mother and child, instantly swallowing them up within the glowing orange flames. The woman and child screamed once, a short and agonized sound sent into the night air, before it was cut off and the smell of burning flesh reached the pair just outside the village. Impulse heard a choking sound from behind him and turned his head to look slightly at Artemis.

"That was just," Artemis began, unable to finish her sentence when she choked and had to look away.

"I know," Impulse whispered in reply as he turned back to the scene of the village. He felt sick, watching what was happening, especially when he saw no emotion on the faces or in the eyes of the teenagers attacking the village. He wanted to turn away, to block out the agonized screams and forget everything he had already seen, but like a horrific train wreck, he found he could not tear his gaze away. He watched as another girl appeared to be teleporting throughout the village, wicked blades flashing dangerously in her hands as she tore through anyone in her way. A second boy seemed to be relying on a type of telekinesis to lift villagers high into the air and send them crashing back into the ground in crumpled heaps. The last two of the group, a boy and a girl, seemed to be working in tandem to, for lack of a better explanation, pull the water from the people around them to leave only dried out husks behind. One of them would grab hold of a villager and drag the water from within them while the other kept guard as it appeared to be a time consuming task that left the user exposed.

"We've got to do something," Artemis said at last as she climbed off of Impulse's back and quickly set up her bow and nocked an arrow. Taking mere seconds to aim, she sent the beeping arrow flying near the twins taking people's water.

"Exploding arrow?" Impulse asked as it flew true and sent the two flying in a spray of dirt that showered down on everyone nearby.

"Obviously," Artemis replied with a nod. "Now get in there, I've got your back." She didn't get a verbal answer, just a slight breeze to her left and a sudden empty space next to her. A blur moving around the fire starter let her know where her best friend was and she set about both keeping an eye on him and keeping the water twins from getting close enough to anyone else.

"Where's Impulse?" Superboy asked as he and Miss Martian finally caught up. Artemis was briefly annoyed that it had taken them so long but then reminded herself that none of them could move as fast as her best friend.

"Down there," she still growled in reply, mostly annoyed that the twins didn't seem to stay down long enough regardless of what she threw at them. "Now get in there and help him. I've got the twins pinned down and he's taking care of Fire Boy over there, but we can't do this alone." Her attention was momentarily diverted to Impulse when a jet of fire clipped him, lighting him up as he sped around. She quickly yanked an arrow from her quiver and sent it flying, watching to see the white foam explode over her best friend and quickly douse the flames. She saw him wave once vaguely in her direction before jumping right back in.

"We're on it," Superboy said before he leapt off the hill and landed heavily in the village. He looked around once went off after the telekinetic boy.

"He's going to need help," Miss Martian added aloud before taking off after the teenaged Superman clone.

"What's the status," Robin asked as he an Aqualad caught up as well.

"Just take a look," Artemis groused, another exploding arrow breaking the earth between the twins and another potential victim.

"Impulse cannot handle the boy with the fire," Aqualad thought aloud. "His powers make him more susceptible to being lit aflame."

"You think?" Artemis retorted. "Oh come on! What do I need to do, shoot you with a real arrow? Just stay down, damnit!" she screamed at the twins as the got up once again, only this time they turned their attention to her and began to make their way towards the hill. "All right, fine then," she growled. "I'm just about out of arrows anyway." She let her bow fold itself back up and slid it into place on her belt.

"Robin, you stay here and assist Artemis with the twins, I will go and take over for Impulse as his powers would be better suited to stopping the girl that is teleporting," Aqualad said before he started down the hill after the team's speedster.

"He better stay safe," Artemis spoke, sparring a glance down the opposite side of the hill. "I don't want to find him any more beat up than he already is."

"He'll be fine," Robin replied, not having to ask who the blonde girl was talking about. "We should just focus on keeping ourselves alive for now. So what're we looking at here?"

"Hard to explain," Artemis responded, watching warily as the twins got closer. "Best way to explain it is that they dehydrate you just by touching you, like they pull every last drop of water from your body and leave a dried out husk behind. It takes time though, that's why they work together. One pulls it off while the other watches their backs."

"Well, that's definitely not…turbing," Robin answered.

"I'd ask," Artemis began. "But we don't have time for you to explain. Get ready, Bird Boy, because here they come."

Later, when the teenagers in Young Justice would write up their own reports they would find themselves amazed at how little time actually passed once they got to the village and ended up following the five other teenagers back to their hideout. At the time, however, as they were caught up in the moment, time seemed to stretch out almost indefinitely. As it was, however, they found themselves trading blows and gaining the upper hand every once in a while, only for it to slip and have their opponents get the better of them. Finally, after what was really only a few minutes, the Young Justice team found themselves beating their opponents back. They were simultaneously getting ready to subdue and capture the inexplicably super powered teenagers before them when the five of them suddenly stood stalk straight before turning around and dashing off into the night.

Impulse cursed under his breath and got ready to take off after the teleporting girl, despite the multiple cuts and light burns littering his skin when Aqualad's voice sounded in his head.

_Wait_, the dark skinned pseudo leader if the team called over the mental link between the six teens. _We must regroup before giving chase_.

_Are you kidding me?_, Impulse asked. _The longer we wait, the further away they'll get. We can't run the risk of losing the trial_.

_I'm keeping an eye on them_, Superboy replied. _I've got a lock on their heat signatures. We can catch up, don't worry_.

Grumbling under his breath as he threw a dark glare off in the direction the girl had disappeared in; Impulse made his way back to the hilltop and regrouped with the rest of the team. He was slightly worried to find Artemis slightly pale and sitting on the ground, breathing heavily. A quick look over at the youngest member of the team showed him Robin was in much the same condition

"Hey, are you all right?" Impulse asked his blonde headed best friend as he took a seat next to her.

"Been better," Artemis replied. "I let one of them get too close and she got her hand around my arm," she added with a quick movement of her left arm. Impulse looked over and saw a vaguely hand-shaped dry patch on her skin. "I just need some water," she continued after seeing the worried expression on Impulse's face. "She didn't manage to take much, but she took enough to make me tired."

"Now that we are all here," Aqualad interrupted. "How is everyone doing? Is anyone incapable of continuing with the mission at the moment?"

Five other heads shook "no", almost in unison, though Superboy's eyes stayed glued deep within the jungle.

"We'd better get going," Robin said as he pulled himself to his feet. "We don't want them to get too far away and I think this is long enough for them to think we're not following them."

"I don't think they think of much of anything," Impulse replied as he helped Artemis up and handed over a small bottle of water he had dug out of the small pack she had kept strapped to her right leg. "They didn't seem all that inclined to do much other than cause as much death and destruction that they could and even then they didn't seem to care. Usually, when you deal with criminals you get two types; those that are acting on desperation or those sick assholes that just enjoy causing mayhem. These guys didn't seem desperate or like they were taking sadistic pleasure in it. They were just, blank. Almost like they weren't aware of what they were doing, or they just weren't all there," he added as he tapped his head.

"Do you think someone's controlling them?" Artemis asked after she had pulled a long pull of water from the bottle.

"The only way to know for sure would be to follow after them," Miss Martian answered.

"Let's get going then," Superboy said as he turned from the group and started off into the jungle. "They went this way."

A twenty minute walk brought the six teens to the edge of a large compound hidden deep within the jungle vegetation. A large stone building with metal pipes and smokestacks dotting the roof, loomed up before them and guards could be seen walking the perimeter and between the six flatbed fourteen wheeler trucks that had been backed up to the back wall. Dirty, white-grey smoke curled up from the smoke stacks into the humid air, sending an odd smell to the noses of the six teenagers.

"What is this place?" Artemis asked quietly.

"My guess, the place we were sent to find," Impulse answered. "How're we doing this?" he asked a little louder so the rest of the team could hear.

"We need to have a look around," Aqualad answered. "We need to get as much information as we can about this whole operation."

"So we all sneak in?" Robin asked, a strange and somewhat gleeful note to his voice. "Should be easy enough," he chuckled.

"We go in in teams of two," Aqualad confirmed. "Stay hidden and stay in constant contact through Miss Martian's mental link. I want constant updates and if you feel like you've been seen, let the rest of the team know; we will make our way to your location and get out. I think half an hour should be long enough to get any useful information. Do not forget to grab samples of anything you can."

"All right then, Artemis and I will see you all here in half an hour," Impulse replied as he stood, scooped Artemis up into his arms and took off to the compound.

"But, you haven't assigned teams yet," Miss Martian said, confused.

"Don't sweat it, Miss M; they'll probably work better together than with one of us anyway. Right now, we need to stay out of sight and the two of them know each other to the point they don't even need to talk. That'll come in handy right now," Robin answered.

Impulse and Artemis got into the compound easily enough and immediately slipped into the shadows, sneaking past guards as they tried to locate a computer. Finally Artemis spotted one far enough away from the factory floor where workers were loading boxes of strange, glowing purplish-blue liquid. She quickly hacked her way into the mainframe and started downloading any files that looked important.

"I know Robin'll probably do the same thing," she whispered to Impulse while he kept watch. "But I figure that will just cover our bases and get more information in the end."

"So what is this stuff and who is it being shipped to?" Impulse asked.

"Don't know what it is," Artemis replied. "But shipping invoices show it going to various members of the League of Shadows across the world?"

"To do what with it?" Impulse asked.

"No clue," Artemis said with a shake of her head. "I think we'd need a sample of that stuff to find out what it does."

"Will you be all right on your own if I go grab us one?" Impulse threw over his shoulder.

"I'll be fine for the few seconds it'll take you, yes," Artemis smiled. "Now get going before you lose a good opportunity."

After Artemis had finished downloading anything she deemed important off the servers and Impulse had returned they continued on their way through the compound. Muffled voices drew them down a dark set of stairs and through a poorly lit hallway until they found themselves listening to the sounds of people sobbing and muffled begging. They exchanged a quick glance and moved forward slightly faster until the hallway ended at a darkened observation deck over a medical bay. Three teenagers, all of them dark haired and dark skinned, were strapped to cold metal tables and shirtless. Their mouths were gagged, but Impulse and Artemis could see tears running down their faces as they begged and pleaded with the men in lab coats at each table. Each man at the tables were wearing white masks that obscured their faces. One man at the front of the room nodded once to the others and each of them pulled a large needle from their pockets, filled with the same purplish-blue liquid. The teenagers began to struggle in earnest when the needles were produced, pushing and straining against their bonds.

"Struggling will not help you," the man at the front said, his tone exasperated as though he'd said the same thing many times before. "I suggest you just lie still and let us work, it will be so much easier for us that way."

Almost as one, the men at the tables shoved the needles into the arms of the teens and let the liquid flow into their systems. A horrible, wailing scream tore from each of their throats, almost as though they were being boiled alive from the inside out. They fought against the bonds harder and all three soon had blood dribbling from parts of their skin they had rubbed raw. As Impulse and Artemis watched, one of the teenagers began to bleed heavily from the eyes and ears, the thick red liquid dripping off the table to the floor, before he stilled and did not move again, his eyes rolling back into his head. The other two screamed even louder for a moment longer, the agonized sounds reverberating through the medical bay and up into the observation deck where Impulse and Artemis crouched in the dark, watching with almost identical looks of horror in their faces. Finally, the screaming stopped and the two teenagers still alive slumped to the table, breathing heavily, but their faces devoid of any emotion.

"Well?" a deep male voice asked as the doors to the medical bay swished open. "How many this batch?"

"We lost one," the man at the front of the room replied. "But the other two seem stable now. Their vitals are reading normal at any rate. Only time will tell if it was a complete success with them."

"Time is not something we have, we're moving out tonight," the man replied as he stepped from the shadows and into the brightly lit room. He was tall and broad shouldered with close cropped blond hair and a hockey mask over his face that allowed only for his blue-grey eyes to be seen with any real clarity. "Get them ready for transport and loaded into a truck as soon as possible."

"Of course," the head doctor replied as he pushed his glasses further up his narrow nose. "They will be ready to move within the hour."

From her place next to Impulse Artemis let out a short, strangled gasp and fell backwards onto her hands.

"What's wrong?" Impulse demanded, alarmed at her odd behavior.

"Wally, take a good look at the man that just walked in," Artemis replied shakily, too nervous to remember not to use his real name.

"Well shit," Impulse cursed after doing as directed. "That's who I think it is, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Artemis replied as she tried to regain whatever control over herself she could. "Yeah, that's my dad."

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Well, Artemis' dad returns and yes, for those wondering, he is Sportsmaster. I'm still a bit nervous about this chapter, as it was more graphic than anything I've written prior in this story, so please let me know what you think. Reviews are helpful and let me know what works and what doesn't for this story. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed chapter ten and, by way of a heads up, I've come to realize that this story may get rather dark as it progresses because of everything I have planned. That may mean more scenes along the lines of what was above (i.e. more graphic). I hope I don't lose any readers with this change and please don't worry; there will still be plenty of the more light hearted scenes and situations as well. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think. If enough of you would rather I didn't walk down this darker path, as it were, let me know and I'll see if I can work something out to change that. I can't make any definite promises to that end as I tend to write what seems to fit and work with the characters and situations I'm writing about, but I can certainly try if you'd rather I didn't write more chapters that read more like the second half of this one.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN**: Hey guys. First off, a huge thank you to all my reviewers and everyone who favorited/alerted this story. You have no idea how awesome you guys are; it never fails to make me smile that you guys are still enjoying this story. Secondly, I apologize for slower updates. I'm applying for graduate school programs and between that and work a lot of my time is being eaten up each week. You'll have to bear with me on this, but I promise I'll update as often as I can. Thirdly, I believe a reviewer (my apologies, I can't remember who) asked why I changed Wally's name to Impulse but left Artemis' alone. The reason is because I'm trying to stick to the Young Justice feel of things but still do my own thing, hence why Artemis is still Artemis and not Tigress. However, I changed Wally's name to Impulse instead of Kid Flash because, at the beginning of the story they didn't have nor want any connection to the Justice League so it wouldn't make much sense for Wally to call himself Kid Flash. I wanted to stay in the DC universe though so I chose to adopt the name of one of my favorite speedsters instead. Hope that clears that up . Now, on to chapter eleven!

**Disclaimer**: I never can think of anything witty for this thing… Suffice it to say, no, I do not own Young Justice (no matter how much I wish I did).

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><p>Impulse couldn't be sure how much time had passed, but he knew he and Artemis sat crouched in the darkness behind the low wall of the observation deck for what felt like an eternity. They listened as the men below spoke callously about the teenager that had died, treating him as nothing more than a failed but humorous lab rat. Impulse wanted nothing more than to speed down there and tear them apart, to see true terror on their cold, laughing faces, but one glance at Artemis kept him by her side. Though she appeared outwardly calm and collected anyone who knew her as intimately as he did would know she was only one small step away from breaking. When the voices finally died away and the lights below went out, Impulse risked pulling down his goggles, switching them to night vision mode and peaking over the edge of the small wall.<p>

"It's clear," Impulse told Artemis as he settled down beside her. She had turned so her back was to the wall and she had drawn her knees to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. With a worried frown, Impulse reached over and pulled the blonde to him. "I've got you," he whispered softly into her hair. "Always and forever."

"Right," Artemis whispered back as she turned slightly to wrap her arms around his torso and bury her face into his chest. "Always and forever." She took a deep breath and squeezed Impulse tighter for a moment, letting the soft motions of his hand running up and down her back soothe her, before she let go and pulled away. "We're on a mission," she stated matter-of-factly. "I don't have the time or the luxury to break down right now."

"That's my girl," Impulse said with a gentle smile as he ruffled Artemis' hair affectionately. "We'll finish this up and then we'll deal with that bastard."

"Right," Artemis replied with a soft smile of her own. The boy across from her hadn't even stopped to consider the idea of leaving her to deal with this alone. Without even pausing to reconsider, he had promised to be right there with her. Her smile widened briefly at the thought. _My dad may have abandoned me, but at least I still have Wally, and that's more than enough_, she thought to herself.

No sooner had the pair stood to leave the room than Robin's voice echoed in their heads. _Guys, Aqualad and I were spotted in the science labs. They know we're here. Grab what you can and scatter. Meet back at the bioship_.

Without missing a beat, Impulse knelt down and waited for Artemis to climb onto his back. He stood as soon as he felt her arms wrap around his neck, making sure to secure her legs to his sides in the process, before taking off down the hallways in a blur of red, blonde, dark green and grey-black. He skidded to an abrupt halt as they entered the large distribution floor not even a moment later. The pair looked around for a moment, taking the scene in. The rest of the team seemed to have made it to this point as well, only to be stopped and stuck in battle with floor workers and people dressed vaguely like ninjas. Impulse buzzed with energy, but paused long enough to let Artemis slip from his back, an arrow already nocked and drawn, released the second her feet touched solid ground.

"Perfect shot," Impulse said with an amused grin as her arrow flew true and knocked one of the ninja wannabes back into the hard wall behind him.

"You expected anything less?" Artemis threw over her shoulder. She smiled widely at her best friend, already caught up in the frenzy of battle, as her eyes danced with a wild light. "Plenty of bad guys and no need to stay hidden anymore," she told him bluntly.

A feral smirk quirked Impulse's lips upward as well. "You're absolutely right," he told her cheerfully. "I think it's time we had a little fun, now that we're out of the shadows for this job," he added as he cracked his knuckles. "It's been a little too long since I was able to just let loose."

"Just make sure not to overdo it," Artemis cautioned. "By the end of this I'm not sure I'll have enough left to drag both of us back, thanks to those drugged up nutjobs from earlier."

"I'll be careful, I promise," Impulse replied solemnly, his smirk disappearing. "Just make sure you come back out in one piece as well. I'm not the only one that took a beating earlier."

Before Artemis could respond, Impulse was gone; zipping around the room in a red, grey-black blur. She gave herself a moment to make sure he was all right before focusing her attention on her own fights. She sent more arrows flying into a group of armed men coming down the hallway before retreating a few steps and scrambling up a high stack of shipping crates, well out of anyone's reach from the ground. She was a bit battered and bruised from her fights in the village and, if she was being completely honest with herself, she was still shaken at finding her father here, in the heart of things no less. _No_, she growled to herself. _Stay focused. Who cares if you're too banged up to help in hand-to-hand combat, at least you can still pick off these cockroaches with your arrows_. Not sparring another moment for those darker thoughts, she shut down every train of thought except the methodical process of draw-aim-release.

The rest of the team were in various states of fighting through a crowd of people. Impulse had stopped his mad dashes around the room and instead had started backing away from a larger group of thugs trying to back him into a corner. He kept glancing behind himself, seeing the wall looming ever closer, even as he heard a few of the henchmen snicker in supposed victory. He feigned being worried for a moment longer until he was sure the group was close enough together to pull off his plan. With a dark smirk at the men advancing on him, Impulse suddenly raced forward and around the group, corralling them closer together and creating an air vacuum at the same time. He kept circling the group until every last one of them had hit the ground, gasping for breath and unable to do anything but try to force air back into their deprived lungs. Once he was sure that group was taken care of, he moved back into the melee, rolling with the punches and coming back up swinging with his own. He didn't have the energy to move at super speed any longer, but that didn't mean he couldn't slow down and fight hand to hand.

Robin was flipping circles around the thugs, almost literally. Not one of them seemed to be able to land a hit on the Boy Wonder as he flipped over and around them, all the while lashing back when thy left themselves exposed. He used his terrain to his advantage, disappearing when it suited him, only to reappear behind his current opponent and take him out before moving on to the next. At one point he briefly took note that Impulse and Artemis had joined the fray, the latter taking up position to provide cover fire and keep more people from making it onto the floor from any of the adjoining hallways. The dark smirk on Artemis' face and the wild enjoyment in her eyes when she sent yet another man to the cold concrete, unconscious, and Impulse's somewhat twisted laugh of amusement as he snapped another man's arm in two places, unnerved the Boy Wonder, but he didn't have time to dwell on his observations when a group of three men with guns suddenly attempted to surround him. Rolling his eyes behind his mask; _Please, they almost make this too easy_, he made a front handspring onto the shoulders of the man in the middle and used his momentum to force the man to spin, taking out his compatriots in the process. Robin leveled a well-placed kick to the back of the man's head as he dismounted, already looking for the next angle of attack.

Superboy, in true, invincible super powered fashion, was making his way through his own group of thugs by strong-arming and sending them flying out of the way. He didn't flinch when the thugs managed to land a blow every now and then. He just kept rushing headfirst into fights, flinging people out of the way fairly easily.

Aqualad was making excellent use of his water abilities as he forced the fire sprinklers around him to burst open and continuously spray water down on the thugs below. Their slipping and sliding left him plenty of room to take them down and make sure they stayed down. When they occasionally managed to find their feet he would use his Water Bearers to pull the water out from under them, sending them crashing to the soaking concrete regardless.

Miss Martian alternated her time between mentally assaulting her opponents and attempting to reach the bioship. She knew the team would be hard pressed to make it back through the jungle and to the ship, even if there wasn't the possibility of being followed back. Having to divide her attention between focusing on her fights and trying to bring the ship to them meant the whole process was slow going and she wasn't sure how much time the team really had; all of them were in various states of exhaustion. She risked a glance at the rest of her teammates after sending yet another man hurtling backwards. _Everyone doing all right?_, she asked tentatively through the mental link.

_Little busy actually Miss M_, Robin replied shortly.

_I am in need of being able to focus for now_, Aqualad added.

_Could be better_, Superboy grunted. _These guys just don't stop coming_.

_On it_, Artemis interrupted before practically cackling. A loud boom had the team all turning to her before looking over at the smoking pile of rubble that had once been a hallway. _Take that you assholes! Let's see you get in here now!_

_You did not...kill anyone, did you?_, Aqualad asked tentatively after a moment.

_Psh, who cares if she did?_, Impulse questioned dismissively. _Nice timing on that, by the way. If we can take care of the rest of these guys in here we'll be home free_.

_Uh, right_, Robin responded. _Well, let's get moving then_.

Almost immediately after Robin had finished speaking, alarm bells began to blare through the room as red flashing lights lit up the area with a bloody glow. "Self-destruct sequence initiated," a mechanical voice boomed over the speakers. "Destruction imminent. Three minutes remaining."

"We've got to move!" Robin yelled even as the remaining henchmen turned tail and ran for the nearest exit. "Miss M, how far is the ship?"

"It's coming, even faster now that I don't have to keep these guys off me," the Martian girl answered.

Without another word, the six teens regrouped and took off down one of the hallways still open. Robin lifted his left wrist and tapped some keys in his glove and a blue, halo-map of the floor plan sprang to life over his wrist. "This way," he called as he dashed down a hallway to his right.

The team ran, uninterrupted, for most of the hallway before a door a good fifty feet in front of them swung open. A large man came out, carrying a bag filled with clinking objects over his shoulder. The six kids screeched to a halt and Artemis drew her last arrow in one, fluid motion, already training it on the man.

"Don't move," Artemis growled. "This last arrow is steel tipped."

"Well, I suppose it was too much to hope that you got stuck on the factory floor," the man chuckled as he turned to face the teens.

"Sportsmaster," Robin seethed. "Should have known you and the Shadows were behind this."

"On the contrary, little bird, we're only part of something much bigger." He turned and looked at Impulse and Artemis, his smirk growing. "Picked up two new members I see. Very interesting."

Impulse glared hatefully at the man in front of him, even as he noticed Artemis' arm waiver slightly. "What's it to you," he hissed.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Sportsmaster chuckled. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I must be going. You're welcome to stick around if you'd like, enjoy the fireworks." Without another word he turned and began to melt into the shadows.

"Artemis, shoot him!" Robin yelled.

Jolted into action by the sound of her teammate's voice, Artemis let the arrow fly. Instead of her usual, impeccable aim, the projectile flew wide, missing her target by feet. She thought she heard the man laugh (she refused to think of him as her father, though she knew she couldn't stop that small voice in the back of her mind that whispered who he was) but then he was gone, leaving the six teens in the exploding building.

"Move!" Superboy yelled as he heard the explosions starting up, further away in the compound.

They didn't wait around; instead they made a mad dash for the nearest exit and burst through into the surrounding forest a minute later. The bioship was waiting for them and the team quickly scrambled on board. They had just barely gotten their seatbelts buckled before the ship rocketed into the sky and took off, leaving the exploding compound behind them.

"Well, that was whelming," Robin commented after they had taken a moment to breath. "What happened back there?" he added to the blonde archer of the group. "Your shot completely missed him."

"I don't know," Artemis grumbled back, refusing to meet his eyes. "I'm exhausted; I probably just pushed myself to hard."

"Really? Are you sure?" Robin questioned skeptically.

"Dude! Back off!" Impulse yelled. "She's tired and bruised, just like the rest of us. We're not perfect, especially when we're as run down as we are. She pushed herself too far and missed, that's all there is to it."

"Right, yeah," Robin replied as placatingly as possible. "Sorry man, just a little irritated we couldn't stop him."

Impulse regarded the younger boy for a minute before nodding warily. "We can't win them all," he said aloud. "But at least we know who's behind all."

"Perhaps," Aqualad interjected. "Remember, Sportsmaster said that he and the Shadows were only part of a larger whole."

"So the bastard was lying then," Impulse replied with an unconcerned shrug. "We caught him there red handed."

"Maybe," Aqualad conceded. "But we should still keep our minds open, just in case."

"Whatever you say," Impulse said before turning his attention back to Artemis.

The team didn't talk much at all on the flight back into the States and to Mount Justice; most of them even dozed fitfully for a few hours here and there. However, by the time they reached the headquarters they were all exhausted and ready to collapse where they stood. M'Gann guided the ship into the docking bay and the six teens stumbled out almost the moment the walkway was down. No one was there to greet them, though they knew the League members knew they were back.

"Bed," Dick mumbled sleepily. "Sleep sounds whelming right now, very whelming."

"Don't wake me up in the morning," Conner groused. "I'm sleeping straight through to noon, maybe later."

"Batman will want to debrief us in the morning," Kaldur warned before he yawned loudly.

"Then he's going to have to deal with half zombiefied, sleep deprived teenagers," Wally retorted. "Now, if you don't mind, I want to get out of this suit, drop on my bed and get intimate with the insides of my eyelids; not necessarily in that order."

The mumbled good nights lasted only a minute longer before the teens made their way to their own bedrooms at Mount Justice. Wally had just finished stripping off his suit and throwing on his pajama pants when he heard a soft knocking at his bedroom door. He opened the door without looking, already knowing who it was.

"Aren't you cold?" Artemis as she stepped into his room and took in the fact that he was shirtless. She herself was in a long sleeved night shirt and pants and was still finding it a little difficult to stay warm deep in the base of the mountain.

"Nah, fast metabolism means I'm pretty warm year round apparently," Wally replied. "Plus one more perk to this whole thing I guess." He turned and looked at her with worried green eyes. "Are you sure you're all right?"

If anyone else had asked her that, Artemis would have probably blown up in their face about doubting her and questioning her strength. However, this was _Wally_, and Wally deserved the truth, probably already knew the truth anyway. Wally was the only one allowed to see her broken, at her weakest, because she knew he would be there picking up the pieces and helping her fit them all back together again, no matter what. Instead of answering right away she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his back and buried her face in his shoulder. She held on a little tighter when she felt Wally's own arms lock around her waist, holding her as close as he could get her. "No," she mumbled into his shoulder after a moment. "No, I'm not all right."

Wally let go of Artemis long enough to scoop her into his arms and walk back to sit on the bed, carefully situating her in his lap. He sat quietly, running one hand up and down her back while the other was wrapped securely around her waist. He knew she'd talk when she was ready and he wouldn't push her for information she was still trying to piece together in her own head first.

"That was my father," she said at last. She had turned in Wally's arms so she was snuggled into his chest, her arms still wrapped around his torso, though her face was no longer in his the crook between his shoulder and neck. "My father's been a part of all the bad things we've seen lately; he's responsible for that boy dying today."

"I know," Wally whispered to her. "I know."

"I always knew he was a bastard, but I wasn't expecting this. Wally, what do I do?" Artemis pleaded. "What if I end up like him? That's what he was training me for."

"You won't," Wally told her fiercely. "You're Artemis Crock. My best friend and the most amazing girl I know." He held her tighter against him. "You won't go down that path," he whispered sincerely. "But no matter what happens, I'll be right there with you. You're not alone Arty, I promise. I told you we'd be together forever when we were kids and I meant it, still do. I'm not going anywhere as long as you want me with you."

"I know," Artemis replied; too content to berate him for calling her Arty. She squeezed him in a tighter hug. "I hope you realize that means you're stuck with me forever then," she said with a teasing smile on her face.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Wally chuckled. "Now, you staying here for the night or am I walking you back to your room?"

"I think I should go back to my room. No telling what our mentors might say if they come looking for me and find me in your room and I'm not in the mood to deal with that. But I don't want to walk, so how about you carry me," Artemis joked, even as she yawned widely. She yelped softly when she felt momentarily weightless and looked around to see that Wally had swung her up into his arms and was carrying her towards the door.

"I'm afraid I'm too tired to run, but I suppose I can carry you," Wally told her when she looked up at him questioningly.

"I was just kidding, Wally. You don't have to carry me," she replied even as she shifted to make herself a bit more comfortable in his arms.

"I know I don't have to, but I figured I would anyway," he said with a soft smile on his lips. He stopped suddenly in front of the door marked with her name in simple black letters and carefully set her down. "Good night," he told her simply. "And remember, I'm just right down the hall if you need me."

"I know Wally," Artemis answered with a smile. "Now get to bed before you fall over, you look exhausted," she added before squeezing him into one last hug. "Thank you."

"Always, you know that," Wally said as he returned the hug for a moment. "Now, I can hear my bed calling my name. See you in the morning Arty."

"Good night Wally," Artemis responded as she watched her best friend walk a little ways down the hallway before turning into her own room.

The next morning turned out to be a nightmare and a half for the six teens. First, they had to deal with the Bats practically wringing every last detail he could out of them. As far as Wally was concerned, he asked way too many questions and wanted way to complex and in-depth answers from a bunch of sleep deprived teenagers at seven thirty in the morning. If that wasn't bad enough, when Batman finally let them go (each of them planning on spending more quality time with their mattresses) Black Canary spotted them and decided that right then was the perfect moment to go "Crazy Den Mother" on them. She ushered all of them into the medical bay and fussed around each of them until she was satisfied they were all just fine.

"You realize this means I'm going to be training you harder now, right?" the older heroin asked as she finally let them leave. She chuckled slightly when six, strangely harmonized groans answered her. "No complaining, you need to be ready in case something like last night happens again."

"Will it?" Wally asked. "Will we be in a situation like that again? Not one of you really tell us anything around here."

"I can't say," Black Canary answered with a shrug. "None of us are entirely sure what's going on, but I can promise you, you'll know more as soon as we do."

Wally grumbled while Artemis rolled her eyes, but otherwise the six teens seemed pacified for the moment and began trudging back to the living quarters of the mountain base. Though of course the Universe had it out for them today (Seriously, Dick was practically positive the Universe spotted them and singled them out to pick on mercilessly that day. Why else would everyone and their dog seemed determined to keep them from going back to sleep?). Just as they were passing by the zeta tubes a bright flash of light and a mechanical voice announced the arrival of someone else.

"Recognized, Speedy. B03," the mechanical woman's voice chimed.

"Who's Speedy?" Wally asked just as a slightly older male voice barked "That's Red Arrow!"

"Obviously someone with identity issues," Artemis commented to her best friend as a strawberry-blond boy, maybe three years older than them, walked out onto the main floor.

"And they are?" he asked abruptly, eyeing Wally and Artemis in turn.

"Oh, that's Wally West, also known as Impulse, and Artemis Crock, also known as Artemis," Dick answered immediately. "They were small time until Bats found them and they joined the team. Guys, this is Roy Harper, also known as Spee…, er Red Arrow. He was Green Arrow's sidekick before he decided to quit the League and, uh, go solo."

"Small time?" Roy asked, looking the pair over again. He was silent for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Right, Impulse and Artemis. You two were working the slums of Gotham. Underground intel says you don't care much for the JL, so what are you doing here? I can't believe you'd join willingly."

"It wasn't willingly," Artemis groused as she glared at Roy. She didn't particularly hate him, as a matter of fact; under different circumstances she might have even liked him a bit. He had decided to stick it to the Justice League as well and was therefore a kindred spirit in a way. But right now he was one more obstacle in the way of returning to dream land and she was not in the mood to deal with it.

Roy raised an eyebrow, but decided not to ask. A quick glance told him all of his younger compatriots were practically dead on their feet. "Rough night I'm guessing," he commented after taking in their particularly haggard appearance. "I'll make this quick then. Do you have a mission assigned tonight?" he asked and waited as six heads shook in the negative. "Good, cause it looks like I'm going to need a little backup on a case I'm working."

"We are not going to be of much assistance to you at the moment," Kaldur admitted. "We are all still trying to recover from our mission last night and we could do with some sleep."

"Some?" Wally snorted. "Speak for yourself. I'm planning on sleeping through breakfast and lunch, and that should tell you something."

"I won't actually need you until later tonight," Roy replied. "If I come back around eight, do you think you can be up and ready to go. That'd give me time to explain the particulars and just what I need from you."

The six teens shared a look and nodded to each other almost imperceptibly. "Yeah," Dick said at last. "I think we can be ready to go by then."

"Good," Roy said with a nod. "Make sure you rest up, I'm going to need you all operating at 100 percent for this." Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and disappeared back through the zeta tube.

"I can't quite decide if he's not that bad, or just plain annoying," Artemis said aloud after Roy had left.

"At the moment, I'm going with demanding," Wally answered. "Though, to be fair, I'm still a zombie and therefore liable to lash out at any given moment here."

"Roy's not that bad," Dick interjected. "He's just got a lot going on that he's got to learn to deal with now that he's on his own. I think the three of you would get along pretty well if you give him the chance."

"Right, well, at the moment I only want to get along with my sheets and my pillows," Wally replied. "I'll be up for dinner, but try and wake me any earlier and I will not be held responsible for any damage you incur as a result."

Mumbles of agreement and acknowledgement rumbled from the other teens as they dragged themselves back to their own rooms, determined to sleep the rest of the day away.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Whelp, there you have chapter eleven; I hope you all enjoyed it. I brought Roy in cause I just couldn't leave him out any longer, lol. Also, just a heads up, a friend of mine talked me into doing the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and that means I've got to pump out at least 50,000 in the month of November. I promise I will try very hard to get to this, but please be patient with me. I love my friend, I do, but she can be quite scary when she wants to be ;P Anyways, that's all I've got to say. Catch you all next time and please leave me a review! I thrive better when I know what you guys think of this story!


	12. Chapter 12

**AN**: *takes a deep breath* I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I got so wrapped up in the NaNoWriMo thing that I completely neglected this story and I am so terribly sorry! My friend promised that my punishment for not finishing would be to drag me onto the Tower of Terror ride when we hit Disney for our vacation (and you have to understand, I HATE rollercoasters and any ride that drops you, I absolutely freak out). Anyway, I'm not all that fond of what I've been writing for NaNoWriMo (the characters quite honestly annoy me and the story really isn't all that great) and I'm only like 300 words away from the 50,000 goal and I decided bag it, you guys have been waiting far too long as it is so I'll update this and get the last 300 words done some other day before the 30th (or at least before midnight on the 30th). Oh! And before I forget, Pima (I hope you read this so you can get my answer, lol) asked me a question on my one-shot _Never Again_ about whether or not I thought the characters from YJ acted in a psychologically consistent manner. Quite honestly, I do, especially after the episode where Black Canary tried to play therapist. Based on their life experiences and personalities, the team reacted in a way that seemed psychologically consistent to me. Wally went into denial and refused to confront anything. Artemis blocked off any attempt at help, preferring to shoulder it alone. Kaldur and Robin actually opened up and tried to at least start working through everything. Conner got angry (and then went on some adventure of self-discovery before he opened up). Finally, as expected, M'Gann had a bit of a break down and elected to stop using her powers. All in all, the team reacted pretty much in an expected and psychologically consistent way. Anyways, enough of the nerdy stuff, on to the real reason you're here chapter twelve!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Young Justice, any of its characters or anything affiliated with it.

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><p>When Wally finally decided enough was enough and allowed himself to wake up the first thing he noticed was his stomach practically clawing at itself in hunger. He turned his head to the side to get a better look at the clock and rolled his eyes. <em>Well no wonder I'm so hungry, it's almost 6:30<em>, he thought. _I skipped breakfast and lunch_. He sighed loudly and tried to get up but found himself rather drained and lethargic. He sighed again and began to wonder what the chances were that he could get Artemis to bring him something to eat so he could at least get enough energy to drag his sorry butt to the kitchen when the door opened and his blonde headed best friend strode into the room carrying a tray loaded with food.

"You're an angel," Wally told her as she set the tray down on his bedside table before coming around and hopping onto the opposite side.

"I try," Artemis replied with a smile. "I knew you wouldn't have a lot of energy to get out of bed so I brought the food to you. But not all of that is for you; I haven't eaten yet either."

Wally eyed the mini mountain of food and shrugged. Sure, he could eat it all himself no problem, but Artemis' well-being was just as important to him as his own, even more so really, so he had no qualms about operating a bit under 100 percent if it meant Artemis was running on full herself. "So where did the cookies come from?" he asked, eyeing the slightly burnt forms that vaguely resembled the sugary treat.

"M'Gann made them," Artemis replied. "They're supposed to be chocolate chip."

"Uh huh," Wally grunted dubiously. "Well, it's food," he added with another shrug as he popped one in his mouth, chewed a couple of times and swallowed. He looked over and saw Artemis watching him with a slightly disturbed look and tilted his head questioningly.

"I only grabbed them to make her feel better," Artemis explained. "I figured we could dump them and just tell her we ate them; lie through our teeth and all that."

"We're still going to have to," Wally said as he swallowed more of the burnt lump and reached for another. "I don't know how anyone can call this chocolate chip... or call it a cookie for that matter."

"Then why are you eating it?" Artemis asked.

"Because it's food and I need to recharge," Wally replied. "If I try and keep as much of it off my tongue as possible, it's not that bad."

Artemis sighed and pushed the plate of eggs that she had swiped off the tray over to Wally. "Here, I made these so you know they're safe."

"I'm not taking your food," Wally replied. "You need to eat just as much as I do."

"No one needs to eat just as much as you do," Artemis joked. "Besides, your powers are a bit more dependent on you being fully recharged than mine."

Wally looked over at his best friend and tried his best to give her a stern stare, but she just looked right back at him, widened her eyes slightly and pouted. "Fine," he grumbled as he snatched the plate from her hands. "Using that look was completely unfair," he added after swallowing the first bite of the scrambled eggs.

"Why? Cause it gets you to do what I want?" Artemis laughed.

"Yes," Wally replied sullenly.

"Aw, come on, that just means I know you well enough to get under your skin," Artemis said as she nudged him gently.

"I just don't want you passing out and getting hurt on this thing we have tonight," Wally said, his voice serious and concerned. "We're already beat up enough from last night."

"I'm not going to fall apart just because I didn't have a plate of eggs," Artemis answered gently. "Though I do appreciate the concern."

"Of course, I've got your back, just like always," Wally said as he slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"And I've got your back, which is exactly why you're eating those eggs and not the charred lumps that may or may not inadvertently poison you," Artemis replied as she grabbed the plate of dubious looking cookies and dumping them in the trash bin. "Though if M'Gann asks, they were delicious."

"I know, I know," Wally chuckled before the pair fell into a companionable silence while they ate. Finally, after the last plate was cleared, Wally stretched out along his bed and pulled Artemis closer to him once again. "So how're you holding up?"

"Better," Artemis answered, not needing to ask what he was talking about. "I really should have guessed that something like this would happen. I mean, what else could he have been training me for?" she added as she shifted closer and wrapped one arm around Wally's torso and rested her head on his chest.

"It's one thing to guess and a completely different thing to know for sure," Wally said as he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"I'll be fine," Artemis assured him. "I know I'm not alone in this," she added as she hugged him tighter for a moment.

"Never," Wally replied. "You're stuck with me babe; this thing is a life sentence."

"Only you would say something like that," Artemis laughed.

"It doesn't make it any less true," Wally said with a grin.

"I know," Artemis replied with a soft smile of her own. "And the same goes for me; we're in this thing together. Forever and always."

Wally and Artemis just sat talking for a few more minutes before a loud knock sounded against the metal of Wally's door.

"Hey dude!" Dick called. "I know you said not to disturb you, but we've got to get going if we're going to be ready by the time Roy gets here."

"Yeah, yeah," Wally called back as he got off his bed and brushed away the crumbs from the meal. "We're coming."

"We're?" Dick asked as the metal door slid open to reveal Wally and Artemis. Dick made a show of looking Artemis over for a moment before grinning at her. "Well, I don't see any cuts and bruises, so he must have let you off easy," he teased.

"Nah man, Artemis is different," Wally replied as he slung an arm across his blonde best friend's shoulders. "She knows when it's safe to wake me up. Plus, it helped that she came bearing food."

"We were wondering why she was disappearing with that pile," Dick laughed. "Well come on, we've got to suit up and get to the zeta tube hall before Roy gets here."

About five minutes later the six teens were in their uniforms and milling about in the cavernous zeta tube hall waiting for Roy to show up.

"Well, he's taking his sweet time," Artemis grumbled as she shifted her weight to her left foot.

"Is it a habit of JL members to keep people waiting?" Impulse asked. He had taken a seat on the floor in an effort to keep his movements to a minimum in order to conserve his energy, but his foot was still tapping impatiently. It didn't exactly help that even Artemis had taken to fidgeting and out of the two of them she was the better able to stay motionless for extended periods of time.

"Depends on who it is," Robin answered truthfully. "Though Spee…er Red Arrow usually doesn't keep us waiting."

"Perhaps something has happened to him," Aqualad said.

"Should I try and contact him?" Miss Martian asked. "If he's within range I should be able to link him up."

"No need," Red Arrow said as a bright flash and the accompanying mechanical voice announced his presence. "Just got caught up in something; civilian life, no big deal."

"Well let's get this thing going, yeah?" Impulse said as he stood. "What do you need us for?"

"You're chomping at the bit," Red Arrow replied, an eyebrow raised behind his domino mask. "Are you usually this impulsive?"

"Dude, my name is Impulse," Impulse answered. "Besides, when you move at super speed, it's kinda hard to slow down for the rest of the world. Now seriously, you've kept us waiting long enough; what's going on that you needed to call in the six of us?"

"What do you know of the recent string of kidnappings of the children of Congressmen and Senators?" Red Arrow asked. When all he got back was blank stares he rolled his eyes. "Don't any of you watch the news at all?"

"Dude, we were in South America the other night and we've slept pretty much all day today to make up for it," Robin retorted. "Couple that with midterms at school and you're lucky if we even know what day it is."

"I see," Red Arrow replied. "All right, so to fill you in on what the civilians know, a lot of children of Congressmen and Senators from the New England area have been abducted over the last couple of weeks. Local authorities have tried to track down any lead possible, but whoever's behind all this isn't contacting anyone. No ransoms have been demanded and they've taken care to cover their tracks."

"Than what are we doing?" Impulse demanded. "If there aren't any leads to go on then why do you need us?"

"Because as far as the public knows there aren't any leads," Red Arrow replied. "However, I was hired privately and I've got access to information that the local authorities don't."

"So you know where the children are," Aqualad said, catching on.

"Maybe," Red Arrow admitted. "I've narrowed it down to a highly likely location anyway. There's a compound on Long Island, far from any other homes. I haven't actually seen any of the missing kids, but it's guarded almost as well as Arkham."

"So we're looking at armed guards, turrets, armed search lights, motion sensors, heat sensors, am I missing anything?" Artemis asked. "And you want to get into this place tonight? On a hunch? Are you insane?"

"I've been scooping this place out for a little over a week," Red Arrow retorted. "I've found a way in and I'm almost positive that the kids are there. I've been monitoring communications and incoming and outgoing shipments. They've been bringing in things that make me think they've got the kids there."

"Like what?" Impulse asked. "I need more than your assurances to go out there and put myself in that level of danger."

"Kids movies, clothes for kids, stuff like that," Red Arrow replied. "I seriously doubt the men marching around the perimeter with submachine guns are going to want to watch _How to Train Your Dragon_."

"So we're talking young kids?" Artemis asked, her snarky demeanor vanishing and being replaced with a frown on her lips and a hard look in her eyes. Next to her, Impulse had stopped twitching and instead adopted a tense and rigid posture. If there was one thing neither of them could stand, it was sickos hurting young kids.

"The oldest is only eleven," Red Arrow answered. "The youngest is five."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Impulse growled as he made his way to the zeta tube, Artemis close behind. "Let's get those kids out and tear apart the bastards that took them."

"Am I missing something?" Red Arrow asked the rest of the Team after Impulse and Artemis disappeared in a flash of white light.

"You're guess is as good as ours," Robin replied with a shrug. "But I think it's safe to say they are very much traught on this whole thing now."

"You will have their full attention and full use of their energies," Aqualad agreed. "I am sure you will find that very helpful in this, especially if you allow the two of them to work together."

"They're that good?" Red Arrow asked skeptically.

"They've been trained," Superboy grunted. "They won't say by who, but they've been trained. My guess is that they've been fighting for years too; long before we ever knew them."

"I do caution you though," Aqualad interjected. "They do not hold back when they fight."

"What do you mean?" Red Arrow questioned, a frown on his face.

"They can get a bit... feral," Miss Martian answered. "It's a little frightening really; it's almost like they're _happy_ to be in the fight, like they enjoy breaking bones."

"It is a little creepy," Robin agreed. "Especially when they start grinning like they're having the time of their lives."

"And Bats allows this?" Red Arrow asked incredulously.

"It's not like they're going overboard with it," Robin answered with a shrug as he headed for the zeta tubes as well. "They do have a lot of self-control not to kill anyone, even if it looks like they really want to sometimes. Now we should probably get going; they're probably getting impatient waiting for us on the other side." He disappeared into the light and the rest of the Team plus Red Arrow followed after.

The rest of the Team popped out on the coast of Connecticut; Long Island was a dark smudge on the horizon of the ever darkening sky. Impulse and Artemis had taken up positions on a large rock by the shore. Artemis was sitting on the rock itself, idly stringing her bow while Impulse leaned against the side and stared out across the water.

"About time," the speedster groused as the rest of the Team stepped up to them. "How do you propose we get across? The ferry has stopped running for the day and we probably wouldn't want to get on a ferry full of people suited up anyway."

"I've got a speedboat a little ways down the coast," Red Arrow answered. "Follow me." Without another word he turned and led the Team down the rocky beach to a little alcove. A small, nondescript and black boat sat on the waves, rocking with the motion of the water lapping up against the sides of the alcove. The seven teens climbed down and got in before Red Arrow started the motor and sent them skipping across the water to the island.

The group rode in outward silence, though Miss Martian had quickly established a mental link and they were going over logistics and covering all the specifics they could think of while they made their way to the island. Artemis and Impulse were uncharacteristically silent, asking only necessary questions of how many men there were, where the most likely place the children were being held was, exactly how many children there were and where they were sneaking into the compound. After their questions were answered, they went back to their silence and simply listened to all Red Arrow had to say. Five minutes after docking, the Team had been traveling up a dirt path when Red Arrow suddenly motioned for them to halt. They were just inside the outer edge of a copse of trees and he pointed down the hill to a large brick house with thick, concrete walls. Guard towers had been set up at the four corners of the walls and the search lights roamed ceaselessly over the entire structure.

"Up there," Red Arrow said, pointing to the single darkened window in the entire structure.

"You still haven't explained how we're going to get past thirty armed guards," Artemis said.

"Much less how we're going to sneak ourselves and eleven young kids back out," Impulse added.

"I've timed the search tower lights," Red Arrow explained. "And I've found a back access for the employees to use. We can get in through there and then make our way up into the room where the kids are from there."

"And the guards?" Robin asked. "I mean, we're good, but not good enough to take on thirty or more guards armed with AKs or worse."

"How do we even know there aren't a lot more guards on the inside?" Superboy asked.

"I've checked for heat signatures multiple times," Red Arrow answered. "Most of the force is concentrated out here; there's hardly any security on the inside. I guess they're not expecting an escape from a bunch of kids."

"Hang on," Impulse said as he pulled his goggles down over his eyes and switched them to thermal imaging mode even as Superboy adjusted his eyesight to get the same perspective. "I'm seeing maybe five adults and eleven kids in that room," he said as he gestured to the same room Red Arrow had pointed to earlier.

"I've got the same thing," Superboy confirmed.

"Well, let's get this show on the road then," Artemis said as she stood from her crouch and motioned for Red Arrow to lead the way. "This is your op, lead the way."

Red Arrow nodded her way once and slipped out from the trees, carefully making his way to the back entrance to the compound. The rest of the Team followed after him, making sure to stagger themselves so as not to make it obvious.

Getting in turned out to be the easy part. After Artemis deftly picked the lock and Robin hacked into the security system to make the seven of them virtually invisible, the only obstacles in their way were the five guards in the building. In typical guard fashion, the five men were lax and not at all paying attention to their surroundings. They had congregated in the living room to watch some sort sports event and the seven teens were able to sneak right by them, up the stairs and to the locked room the kids were being held in. Artemis quickly picked the lock once again and they were in.

There was a small squeak and a shuffling noise from the darkness beyond and suddenly a plastic baseball bat was swinging towards Red Arrow's head. He caught it just in time and yanked it forward, dragging a young boy into the light of the hallway.

"Easy kid," he said. "We're here to help. Do you know who we are?"

The young boy looked over each teen, his eyes growing significantly wider. "Yeah," he finally whispered as he nodded slowly.

"Okay, good," Red Arrow replied. "We're getting you kids out of here. You all ready to go?"

"Yeah," the boy said again. "Hang on."

Not even two minutes later, all eleven kids were lined up in the hallway, watching the young heroes with wide eyes.

"Okay, we're here to help you," Red Arrow repeated once they were all present. "We're getting you out of here and back home, but we need your help. You've all got to promise to be quiet, all right?" After all eleven heads nodded at him he nodded once himself. "Good, now follow me."

_How are we getting back out?_, Miss Martian asked through the mental link.

_Through the basement_, Red Arrow replied. _There's a tunnel there that leads to their private airstrip. We'll, uh, _commandeer_ one of their planes to get these kids back home_.

_Why didn't we take this tunnel before?_, Impulse asked.

_The door on the other side is one way_, Red Arrow answered. _Believe me, if we could have gotten through it, we would have_.

_Well, nothing to do now but keep moving forward_, Robin said.

_Yeah, but does anyone here have experience flying private planes?_, Artemis queried. _Cause Impulse and I don't_.

_We all do_, Superboy answered. _League training kind of demanded it_.

Getting into the basement turned out to be just as easy as getting into the compound. The Team and the kids were halfway down the tunnel to the airstrip before any sort of alarm was raised. Suddenly a loud, blaring noise tore through the hallway and the seven young heroes froze for a moment, glancing warily at each other.

"Run," Robin said lowly, breaking the moment of tense silence. "Run!" he said louder before scooping up the smallest child and taking off down the hall.

Each of the other teens grabbed a couple kids themselves; Superboy ended up carrying five. They ran the length of the rest of the hallway and came out at the airstrip on the other side.

"Get the plane going!" Superboy yelled as he put the kids he was carrying down and turned back to face the tunnel exit. "I'll hold them off."

"You're going to need help," Impulse said as he set the two kids he was carrying down as well.

"If you're staying, I'm staying," Artemis told Impulse, about to put her charge down as well before Impulse placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Robin may need your help to bypass security here," he told her. "Besides, once you get the plane going, I'll need to run Superboy and me in to catch it before it takes off. I can't carry two people if one of those people happens to be Superboy."

"I don't like leaving you here," Artemis replied, a frown on her face. "Separating feels…wrong."

"I know," Impulse responded. "I don't like it any more than you do, but right now we don't have much of a choice. We've got to get these kids out of here and to do that our talents are needed in two different places."

"You better come back to me alive and in one piece," Artemis said after a moment's pause. "Because I swear if you don't, I'll find a way to bring you back just so I can kill you myself for being a complete idiot."

"Come on, you know me," Impulse reminded her with a soft smile. "I don't do anything reckless, ever."

"Yeah, sure," Artemis snorted derisively.

"Besides, I've already told you," Impulse continued in a more serious tone. "This thing is a life sentence; always and forever."

"Always and forever," Artemis echoed. "Stay safe," she added before scooping up the two kids Impulse had been carrying and turning to make a run for the hanger.

"You too," Impulse called after her before turning back to the tunnel and taking position beside Superboy.

"You ready for this?" the teenaged powerhouse asked.

"Dude, I was born ready," Impulse replied as he cracked his knuckles and allowed a feral grin to play along his lips.

The two of them didn't have to wait long for their fight to begin. Soon after the rest of the Team had disappeared within the dark confines of the hanger behind them the first of the guards burst up through the tunnel.

"Here we go," Impulse chuckled darkly before he zipped in and took care of the first few men before any of them could get a shot off.

As it turned out, it was probably a good thing it was Impulse and Superboy that stayed behind to hinder the guards from getting to the hanger. Every last one of them had brought their guns with them and wasted no time in trying to shoot down the two teens. With Superboy being practically indestructible (at least when it came to bullets) and Impulse able to read the path of the bullets and, indeed, travel faster than them to avoid them easily, not a single shot managed to do any damage to either teen. However, the same could not be said for the guards. Even though wave after wave kept popping up through the tunnel (seriously, there had to be a lot more than the original estimate of thirty) Superboy knocked them down with well placed, super powered punches and Impulse weaved his way through them, knocking out his fair share before they even knew what hit them. Finally, when the sound of a plane engine filled the air, Impulse stopped moving at super speeds long enough for Superboy to climb on his back.

"They're playing our song," he told the teenaged Kryptonian. "Guess that means it's time to get going. It's a shame really; I was having a lot of fun."

"Whatever, let's just catch up before the plane leaves," Superboy replied.

"Yeah, yeah. Hold on tight man, I can't guarantee a smooth ride," Impulse said before he shot off after the private jet already making its way down the tarmac.

The rear cargo bat was open so Impulse could run right in and both Artemis and Red Arrow could be seen on either side of the ramp, bows drawn, as they fired round after round into the guards to keep them too busy to react. Once Impulse shot into the plane between them Red Arrow stood and slammed on the button to close the hatch even as Artemis yelled for Robin to get the plane in the air.

Once Impulse had gotten into the plane he practically dumped Superboy off his back and bent over, hand on his knees, as he breathed heavily for a minute of two. "Dude, anyone ever tell you that you weigh like a ton?" he asked once he could breathe normally.

"Not really, no," Superboy replied with an unconcerned shrug.

"So we got the kids," Robin said, jerking his thumb to the part of the plane the eleven children had clustered themselves into, even though he kept his eyes on the skies as he maneuvered the plane. "But do we know why they were taken in the first place."

"I never actually bothered to find out," Red Arrow admitted. "I was hired to find out where they were and to get them back; not find out why they were abducted in the first place."

"I heard one of the men watching us say something about 'placement'," the oldest boy, the same kid who had swung the plastic bat at Red Arrow, said aloud. "I don't know what that means though."

"Uh, you guys may want to have a look at this," Superboy said. He was standing over a wooden crate in the cargo area he had pried open. He reached in and pulled out a vial of the same, oddly colored liquid the Team had seen at the night club and most recently in South America.

"And so the plot thickens," Artemis sighed. "And you can bet no one will tell us anything about why this stuff is here and how it's connected to these kids."

"Probably not," Impulse agreed.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Again, I am so very very sorry for neglecting this as long as I did (curse you NaNoWriMo!) Good news is, that's done (and so are my grad school applications, well, for the most part anyway) so I will now have more time to write :D Oh, and please don't think my reference to _How to Train Your Dragon_ is meant in any way to pick on the movie and/or the people who love it. I happen to be one of those people myself (Seriously; it remains my number one favorite movie ever, lol). As always, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to leave me a review! I crave to know what you guys think of the story!


	13. Chapter 13

**AN**: So I felt bad enough about leaving you hanging for a month that I'm giving you lovely people two updates in one week as an apology (and this one's pretty long…). Thank you, as always, to those of you that have favorited/alerted me and/or the story and a big thanks to all you wonderful people that have reviewed. I seriously smile every time I read your reviews and find that you're all still enjoying this story. See what kind of power you have? You guys literally bring a smile to my face! :) Anyways, here's chapter thirteen. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: Nope, still don't own Young Justice. However, I do own a completed manuscript for my own original work that I am now trying to get published (so if any of you know anything or have any tips or tricks, please let me know)

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><p>After the Team got into the air and away from Long Island things went fairly smoothly for them. Well, except until Black Canary contacted them over their comm links in full on "overprotective mama bear mode". She calmed down, though only slightly, when she learned they were just leaving Long Island and then went right back to a full on freak out when she found out exactly where they were and what they had been doing. The six younger teens snickered as quietly as they could when she focused her attention on Red Arrow, fussing over him as much as possible over the air waves and generally acting as the concerned mother figure that she was for the oldest member of the group.<p>

"After you drop off those kids you are all to come right back to the Mount, am I clear?" she had asked after she had finished her worrying, her tone leaving no room for argument.

The seven teens exchanged wary glances, but swung the jet back to Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, after making sure each of the eleven children got home safely. Robin guided the plane into the hanger and offered a chagrined smile to the assembled mentors as the Team walked out.

"You stole a jet?" Black Canary asked incredulously.

"I told them to," Red Arrow defended, stepping forward. "I needed a little help on a job and asked them to come along. They agreed and this was the only way off Long Island with all those kids. Besides, we all got off all right and the kids are all back home safe and sound."

"Be that as it may, you still put yourselves in a dangerous situation without a lot of prior knowledge," Batman rumbled. "I will agree that everything turned out in your favor, but it could have just as easily gone bad. I thought I had been teaching you better than that."

"Based on what Red Arrow already knew, we had just about as much information as we do when we run ops for you," Impulse pointed out, albeit a little belligerently. "I will admit that things could have gone bad, but the fact of the matter is, they didn't. We got in, got the kids, got out, got them home and got back here in one piece. Besides, I think there's something in the cargo hold of that plane you'll want to have a look at."

Batman raised an eyebrow before stepping around the assembled teens and making his way into the plane. A few minutes later he came back out, already handing out orders. "Get someone in there to unload the plane and get the cargo to the Watch Tower. Someone also let Flash know he's got a lot more samples to work on and break down," he added before turning back to the Team. "Were you able to find out anything about the serum and why it was there?"

"We didn't know about it until we were already in the air," Robin answered immediately. "We had thought we were just there to rescue the kids."

"One of the kids did mention something about being taken for 'placement'," Artemis interjected. "Though none of them could tell us what that meant."

"This bares further consideration," Batman said more or less to himself. "I'll let this slide this once, but I expect you to clear any side projects through me first in the future."

"And if I need the Team for an op I'm running?" Red Arrow asked. "I'm I supposed to get your permission to ask my friends for help? I didn't realize that they had all regressed in years to the point where they still needed their hands held."

"Roy!" Black Canary chided.

"Sorry," Red Arrow replied with an unrepentant shrug. "But that's just how I see things. If you don't trust them enough to run ops like this, then what was the point of forming their team? Unless it's just an elaborate way to play baby-sitter and keep them relatively happy and off your back. Anyway, I've got to go. I'll catch you all later," he added to the six teens before leaving the hanger and jumping into the nearest zeta tube.

"You're dismissed," Batman said after a moment. "Try and get some sleep tonight, you all have school in the morning." Without another word, he headed for the nearest zeta tube as well, already calling instructions over his comm link to other League members.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm headed back to campus," Robin said after everyone else had cleared the room. "The beds here suck."

"Right behind you," Impulse replied.

By the time the six teens made it back to Gotham Academy, into their dorm rooms and showered it was already eleven at night. Wally said a quick "Night!" to Dick before disappearing into his own room. He wasn't at all surprised to see Artemis sitting on his bed, waiting for him.

"So, how much trouble am I in?" he asked as he took a seat next to her. When she remained silent, he looked over at her and frowned. "That bad that you're not talking to me?"

Artemis didn't say anything, but she did lean over to rest her head on his shoulder and wrap her arms around his torso.

"All right, Beautiful, what's wrong?" Wally asked, using the nickname he only used when he thought she might be mad at him and he wanted to attempt to placate her. He wrapped his own arms around her and pulled her a little closer.

"I know you're fast," Artemis finally mumbled. "But seeing all those bullets flying around you and not being there with you just felt so _wrong_. We've been together as long as I can remember and not being with you when you're risking your life was terrifying. I can't lose you, Wally. Not now, not ever; especially with everything that's been happening lately."

"You're not going to lose me, Angel, I promise," Wally told her, holding her just a little tighter.

Artemis smiled at the nickname; he hadn't called her Angel since the time he accidentally let it slip that she looked like an angel when they were eleven. She suspected he hadn't meant for it to slip this time either and she wasn't entirely sure what to make of that realization. "I better not," she replied after a moment. "Cause you know I'd just have to follow after you into the afterlife and kill you again for being an idiot," she added with a laugh.

"Of course you would," Wally chuckled. "So would I be correct in assuming you're staying here for the night?"

"Yes," Artemis replied as she allowed herself to fall backwards onto the bed, unbalancing Wally and dragging him with her. She waited long enough for him to get situated and comfortable before she snuggled in close and pillowed her head on his chest. "We haven't been on our turf for a couple of days," she said aloud after a moment of silence.

"Mmm," Wally hummed, the sound of it vibrating through his chest. "Do you want to go tonight?"

"No," Artemis said after a moment. "You're running low enough as it is. We'll go out Monday and call it good."

"If that's what you want," Wally mumbled sleepily.

"Go to sleep, Wally," Artemis chuckled. "I'll see you in the morning."

Wally simply hummed in acknowledgment once more, already halfway into dreamland. Artemis lay awake for a few more minutes, simply listening to Wally breathing that feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath her head. Discordant thoughts danced around her mind, none of them sticking long enough for her to really consider them, until they all scattered as her heart gave a sudden, though not unpleasant jump, when Wally pulled her closer in his sleep and nuzzled into her hair. _Something's changing_, she thought to herself as she allowed the steady beat of Wally's heart lull her into sleep. _Or maybe not changing. Maybe it's always been there and I just didn't know what it was. I just don't know what to do about it yet_, she admitted to herself before her eyelids drifted closed and her conscious thoughts gave way to the world of dreams.

After such a busy weekend, the rest of the week was comparably slow. Wally and Artemis still went out on Monday and stayed out a little later, cleaning up what they could of Central Gotham in hopes of making up for their weekend absence, though it seemed to be a fairly slow crime week. Even their nights out with their mentors were slower than usual. By Thursday night they had found out that there weren't any missions for the weekend and they decided it was time they went home for a change. They would still show up at the cave for combat training, but there was no reason they couldn't spend a weekend at home with their mothers.

It was a rather dull Saturday afternoon and Wally and Artemis had taken up residence on the couch, television on as they munched on various snack foods they had dug up in the kitchen.

"So, how goes your science project?" Artemis asked around a mouthful of popcorn.

"What science project?" Wally's mother asked.

"The school's holding a junior science fair deal," Wally answered as he rolled his eyes. "First prize is a scholarship to the school of the winner's choice for college. I wasn't going to participate but my AP Chem teacher practically forced me and he teamed up with my Physics and Biology teachers when he couldn't get me to sign up by himself," he added with a growl. "Now I've got to come up with something and get it submitted before the deadline."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Wally's mother gushed. "Do you have any ideas?"

"A few," Wally sighed, finding it hard to remain completely surly about the whole thing when his mother was so excited.

"Yeah, apparently they're getting people from big companies across the nation to judge," Artemis said. "Like that guy, from Central City Labs," she added, gesturing to the news report on a new finding by Barry Allen. The blond headed scientist was smiling into the camera and politely answering all the questions the assembled press posed to him.

"Is it too late for you to back out?" Wally's mother asked suddenly. Her voice was low and she was staring wide eyed, almost terrified, at the man on the screen.

"Uh, mom?" Wally began, looking nervously over to his mother. He had never her seen her like this before and, if he were being honest with himself, it kind of unnerved him. He was used to the happy, but pig-headedly stubborn woman that had raised him so to see her practically on the verge of a breakdown was new and worrying to the young hero. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"You need to talk to your teachers and back out of this, Wally, please," his mother practically begged him.

"Um, not that I'm complaining or anything; I didn't want to do this anyway, but, uh, can I ask why?" Wally asked hesitantly.

"Because," Wally's mother finally whispered after a moment as she turned to face her son. "That man sat back and watched while our parents disowned me. He could have done something to stop them, but he chose not to act. He's the reason our live turned out the way they have and I don't want you anywhere near him. Please, Wally. He made it perfectly clear he wanted nothing to do with me and I don't want you in a situation where he could hurt you as well."

For a moment all Wally could do was sit and stare at his mom. For a minute, noting really made much sense. His mother had never really talked about her family, except the one time she had to explain to him why he didn't have any grandparents like all the other kids; that particular conversation hadn't been pleasant and it still made Wally angry when he remembered the painfully sad look on his mother's face when she told him what her parents had done to her. After a few moments of processing what she had just said, the implications finally caught up to him. "Wait, so he's my uncle?"

"Was," Wally's mother corrected. "He made it clear he didn't care when he watched our parents sign the documents for my disownment."

"But he is your biological brother?" Wally asked, having a hard time trying to process all the new information despite the speeds at which his thoughts could move now.

"Yes," Wally's mother answered hesitantly as remnants of that haunted, sad look clung to the edges of her eyes. "But that doesn't mean anything to him; to any of them."

"Then I'm definitely backing out," Wally snarled as he threw a dark look to the blond man on the screen. "No way am I participating in anything that any of _them_ are a part of. I'm not relying on their attempts at charity to get anywhere on life. If we weren't good enough for them, they're money is definitely not good enough for me," he added venomously. While Wally knew little about his mother's family, he still knew quite well what they had done to her when she had left to be with his father. They had promptly disowned her and then actually placed a restraining order on her when she had tried to get help after Wally's father had left them. They had turned a blind eye and deaf ears to her pleas for help, especially with a young son, no job and no money. Not that Wally would change the life he had for anything, mostly because it had allowed him to meet Artemis, but it still pissed him off that people who claimed to be family would treat someone like that. It didn't exactly help matters that any thoughts of his mother's situation with her family always ended up cycling back to his father and the night he left them. With one last snarl at the television, Wally got up from the couch and walked over to the door. "I'll be back later," he said as he stepped out into the apartment complex hallway.

Without missing a beat, Artemis was up and at the door right behind him with a speed that would have impressed Wally, had he been thinking straight. "You're not driving," Artemis told him as she grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hallway.

"I need to move," Wally complained in a low tone that warned her not to try and stop him. "Preferably in a fast and unreasonably reckless manner."

"Says the boy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers," Artemis replied, giving him a look over her shoulder. "If you need to move fast, fine, but you're going to run. I'm not going to let you drive when you're too pissed to think clearly."

"I guess I hadn't thought of that," Wally admitted after a moment. "You coming with?" he added as he pulled a pair of goggles from his pocket.

"Did you seriously just ask me that?" Artemis responded. Though her tone was light hearted, she couldn't help but feel a little worried for her best friend. Whatever was going through his head was enough to unbalance him enough not to be thinking completely clearly. She'd let him run until he decided to stop, but then she'd get him to talk to her for sure.

"Right, right, sorry," Wally said with a humorless chuckle as he knelt down and waited for Artemis to climb onto his back. Once she was situated securely and had tucked her head against his neck to protect her face, he was off like a shot. He zipped out of the building, down the street, out of the city and well past the state lines. He didn't hold anything back as he ran and he didn't allow himself to think beyond making sure he didn't run into anything as his strides ate up the ground below him. In no time at all, he came to an abrupt stop and carefully let Artemis down to the ground, making sure she could stand on her own before he pulled his hands away.

For a while, neither teen said anything as they stared out over the expanse of the Grand Canyon below them. Wally had run them to a secluded cliff edge, how he knew it was there Artemis had no idea, but the sight was breathtaking and both teens took a moment to admire the view.

"Speak," Artemis finally commanded after she decided she had given him enough time to collect his thoughts.

"It's stupid," Wally grumbled back.

Artemis didn't reply, but she turned her entire body so she was facing her red headed best friend and watched with a vague sense of smug satisfaction when he sighed and shook his head.

"I just, I don't know. I guess I just got wondering why life isn't fair," Wally said at last.

"We've known for years that life, Fate, the Universe, whatever you want to call it, is a petty, vindictive bitch that singles people out to mess with for its own sick amusement," Artemis replied. "But whatever got you so pissed has much more to it than that irritating little fact of life."

"My mom never deserved what happened to her," Wally growled as he picked up a sizable rock and flung it out as hard as he could into the canyon below. "All she did was fall in love with an asshole and her family decided, "You know what? Screw you!" and then said asshole made light of that sacrifice and walked away because he was "bored" and "just didn't want to deal with it anymore". Then there's your dad," Wally continued. He felt Artemis tense beside him but he was on a roll and didn't feel particularly inclined to stop now. "He abused you and your mother emotionally and physically for years all because he's a sick, twisted prick. And then we go and learn that he's at least neck deep in an extensive and far reaching crime organization that's responsible for the disappearance and deaths of a bunch of teenagers. If it wasn't enough that he hurt you in the past; now the damn cockroach has to pop back up and pretty much do it all over again. Tell me, what did we do to get lives like these? What the hell did we do to merit this level of emotional pain? What did your mom do? Or my mom? To get stuck with such assholes?" he demanded as he threw another rock into the canyon.

"Nothing," Artemis replied quietly after a moment as she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. "We didn't do anything, Wally."

"Then why the hell is all of this happening to us? To them?" he raged. "Why do some of the scumbags we go to school with get to lead rich, perfect, entitled lives and we spent pretty much all of our childhood scraping the bottom of the barrel just to get through one more day in the hellhole we were forced to live in?"

"I don't know," Artemis answered, even quieter than before as she hugged her knees even tighter to her chest, her eyes straying out over the canyon instead of looking at Wally, trying hard not to recall the more painful parts of her life with her father. "I gave up trying to figure out why the world isn't fair a long time ago and to just accept the shitty hand I was dealt; it was easier that way, to think there was nothing I could do to change it all."

"I'm sorry," Wally said after another pause and a long, loud sigh when he finally looked over to Artemis. "I didn't mean to… I'm sorry. I was pissed, I am pissed, and I didn't stop to think."

"It's okay," Artemis replied, finally looking at Wally again. "You learn to take the good with the bad and just get through. My life up to this point sucked, both of our lives have sucked, but I wouldn't trade them up for anything. I promised you forever and always years ago and I intend to keep that promise till my last breath. The people around us can be jerks and our fathers can be the biggest assholes on the planet, but you'll always have me. I'll be right there with you till the end and beyond, if it's possible. Just don't keep stuff bottled up anymore idiot. When you do it all comes rushing out like this at once and you're not thinking clearly anymore," she added with a small smile to let him know all was forgiven.

For a moment, Wally just stared at his best friend, taking in the way the setting sun painted her bright blonde hair with streaks of fiery orange. A long ignored part of him burst to the forefront and sent his heart racing. Before he could stop himself, before he could take a moment to pause and reconsider, he followed his instincts, leaned in, and pressed his lips to hers.

For a minute Artemis was stunned motionless and then her heartbeat picked up, her eyes fluttered closed, her arms came up to wrap around Wally's neck and she was kissing him back just as fiercely.

"What was that?" Artemis finally asked when they separated for air.

"I don't know," Wally replied. "It just felt… right."

"Yeah," Artemis responded after a brief pause. "Yeah it did. When did all this change?"

"Has it changed?" Wally asked as he pulled back a bit and ran a hand through her long hair to tuck it behind her ear. "I don't feel any different, do you?"

"No," Artemis admitted. "Not really, I guess. So now what?"

"Now, I think we should get back into Gotham before our moms start to wonder where we are," Wally replied as he stood, taking her hand and helping her up as well.

Artemis allowed him to pull her to her feet, but stood her ground and crossed her arms over her chest while giving him an unamused look. "That's not what I meant."

"I know," Wally sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "What do you want to do about it?" He bit his bottom lip and refused to look her straight in the eye as though he was afraid of her answer.

"I think I'm willing to see where this takes us," Artemis said after a moment and trying (and failing) to hide the smile that came to her face when she caught sight of the hopeful look in Wally's eyes. "You're right that nothing's really changed; you're still my best friend and I'm still in this with you till the end."

"So what brought this on?" Artemis asked as she climbed back onto Wally's back, making sure to lock her arms securely around his neck.

"Honestly, you've got Dick and the Flash to blame," Wally replied with a wry smile and a shake of his head. "They both mentioned something about you being my girlfriend and I've had the idea floating around in my head for a while."

"So I'm your girlfriend?" Artemis teased lightly.

"If you want to be," Wally said with a shrug, trying to be nonchalant about it.

"I do," Artemis answered before pecking him lightly on the cheek. "But if you've been thinking about this for a while, why haven't you done anything until now?"

"Because I wasn't sure what to do," Wally answered truthfully. "Like I said, nothing's really changed about how I feel about you. You're still the most important person in my life and you're still my best friend. All that's really changed is that I get to kiss you now," he added with a mischievous smile over his shoulder.

"I see," Artemis laughed. "And what made you decide to kiss me then?"

"Nothing," Wally chuckled. "For once, I stopped thinking, stopped analyzing, and just acted. I think it turned out in our favor."

"I think you're right," Artemis replied. "Nothing really has changed. You know, maybe we've really been together for years and we've just been too oblivious to see it," she laughed.

"That would definitely explain a lot," Wally chuckled. "At least why we kept getting those weird looks from the people that know us. So, you ready to head back to Gotham?" he asked.

"Are you feeling better?" Artemis returned. "If you still need to run, go for it."

"Nah, I'm fine," Wally answered. "I'm no angrier about it all than usual anyway."

"Well, let's get back before we're missed then," Artemis said. "I have a feeling our moms are going to pick up on something and the sooner we get back the sooner we can get through their questions."

"Hold on tight then, Beautiful," Wally grinned. "I'm not holding back on the return trip."

Artemis had enough time to let out a short laugh before Wally was off like a shot. Strangely enough, their mothers didn't say a word when they walked into the apartment not even ten minutes later, hand in hand. They simply exchanged a knowing smile, smiled a little more widely at the pair and left it at that. Monday morning, however, was an entirely different matter.

Wally and Artemis had decided to stay home through the weekend and then take the bus back to the Academy Monday morning. This gave them the added advantage of not having to face the rest of the team until lunch. It wasn't that they were trying to hide their relationship; they just weren't looking forward to the inevitable smug and knowing looks and the endless squeal of questions (most likely all from M'Gann). As expected, M'Gann pounced the moment they were at the table.

"When did it happen?" she squealed. "How did it happen? Oh, I'm so excited for you two! I always thought you were the cutest couple; you just needed to realize you were a couple! Artemis, we should totally have a girl's night! We'll be able to talk about all of this without the boys around."

"Uh, yeah," Artemis replied warily even as she shot Wally a look that promised him holy hell if he even thought about leaving her alone with M'Gann for even a minute.

"Congratulations, my friends," Kaldur said as he smiled warmly at them. "I am most happy that you have found happiness with each other."

"Dude, you're making it sound like they've gotten married," Dick snickered. "They've just stopped being blind and realized they've been a couple for years. And probably enjoying the perks that come with it," he added with a mischievous smirk at the pair.

"Yeah, whatever man," Wally replied with a roll of his eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's lunch period and I need food." Without another word, he stepped away and headed for the lunch line, pulling Artemis along with him by their entwined hands.

The rest of the week went fairly smoothly after that Monday morning. They still got some good natured teasing from the rest of the team and Artemis was on the receiving end of quite a few angry glares from fans of Wally's. By Thursday she'd decided enough was enough, woke Wally up from his nap during lunch, pulled him up from his seat and kissed him soundly in the middle of the cafeteria. She then smiled sweetly, though there was obviously a sarcastic edge to it, at every girl she knew had been glaring at her before returning to her seat and pulling Wally back down with her. He stared at her for a moment, hopelessly confused, as his mind struggled to shake off his drowsiness and process what had just happened. It didn't exactly help that Artemis had left him breathless from her little stunt either.

"Just go back to sleep," she had told him. "It'll make sense to you later."

Wally hesitated for a moment before he shrugged, leaned over and rested his head on her shoulder. "Night," he had mumbled quietly before he was out like a light.

After that stunt, no one bothered Artemis again and the girls from Wally's fan club backed off and pretty much ignored her completely; not that it bothered her at all. As a matter of fact, she found it laughably hilarious.

Friday morning every member of the team woke up to a text message on their phones to report to the Mount right after classes let out for the day. No one, not even Dick, knew what was going on and after almost two weeks of inactivity, they were all ready to get out and do something.

"So what part of the world do you think we're jetting off to this time?" Artemis asked as the six teens made their way to the nearest zeta tube.

"Who knows," Dick answered. "We'll find out once we get debriefed. Personally, I'm hoping it's somewhere dry. I've had enough of the rainy weather that's settled here this week," he added before he stepped into the abandoned phone booth that acted as the portal for the zeta tube.

"Has the Little Bird had enough of the water wetting his wings?" Artemis teased.

"Birds usually nest and wait out a storm, but I have to stick around because you sorry lot would be completely lost without me," Robin quipped back, an easy grin on his face.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say we'd be lost," Wally interjected as the six of them burst into the Mount in the usual flash of white light and mechanical voice announcing their presence. "I'd say we'd more or less vaguely wonder if we were missing someone but be completely unable to place who."

"Ouch man," Dick said as he placed a hand over his heart, a frown on his face though anyone could see he was struggling not to grin. "That wounds me, right here; cuts me right to the heart."

"You'll live, I'm sure," Wally retorted.

"You don't know that," Dick continued, overly dramatic. "For all you know, you could have just delivered the final blow."

"If you can take a kick to the stomach from me and still get up and walk away, then I'm sure a little teasing won't kill you," Conner said as he walked past the three of them.

"All right fine, ruin my fun," Dick replied with an exaggerated sigh.

"There will be time for fun later," Batman said as he walked into the room. "For now, I need you to head to the Botanical Gardens in D.C. We've had reports that certain plants have been disappearing or have appeared to have been harvested for their sap or seeds. The scientists have been reluctant to explain which plants have gone missing and then all communications with them stopped early this morning. You're going in on recon. Take a look around, find out what's happening and put a stop to it if you can."

"Is Ivy behind this?" Dick asked, all joking gone from his tone to be replaced by an alert calm.

"It's a possibility we have considered," Batman answered.

"Wait, Ivy as in _Poison_ Ivy?" Artemis asked. "You think Poison Ivy could be behind this and you're sending _us_ in to deal with it?"

"I'm sure you can handle yourselves," Batman replied. "Besides, I was under the impression you wanted to be taken more seriously."

Artemis stared him down for a few minutes before huffing loudly and looking away. "Can you at least tell us a little about fighting her?" she asked. "We've heard of her, but Wally and I have never had the misfortune to cross paths with her."

"Robin can fill you in on your flight there," Batman answered. "It's hard to prepare to fight her because of the unique nature of her abilities. Keep in mind she can spread her spores by touch or by air. Now suit up and get going. I don't see any problem with open channel communications on your comm links so if you do get in over your heads you can contact nearby League members."

"So much for going someplace warmer," Dick grumbled as they all headed into the locker rooms to change.

"Cheer up man, it'll be stifling in the gardens," Wally said. "They have to keep it at temperatures comparable to the Amazon Rainforests."

"Yeah, but I'm not relishing the idea of going up against Ivy," Dick said before he shuddered.

"I'm sensing a story in that one," Wally said as he opened his locker door and pulled out his suit.

"About three months after our team formed we went up against her," Conner supplied as he dug out his usual jeans, black t-shirt and combat boots. "We were caught pretty much the second we got in the door. Whatever spores she had floating around in the air got us hallucinating. We didn't notice because everything was practically the same, except for subtle differences. We only realized what was going on when M'Gann noticed we weren't linked telepathically any more. She managed to reestablish the connection, shut down our senses and basically reboot everything in our brains to counter the effects of the spores."

"And that's what we're going up against?" Wally asked skeptically.

"She's actually pretty easy to beat," Dick said as he fit his domino mask over his eyes. "As long as you can avoid her plants and whatever spores she decides to throw at you."

"Well, that's the trick isn't it?" Wally retorted as he pulled his cowl over his head and situated his high impact goggles across his forehead.

"Let us focus on trying to survive," Kaldur said. "We have bested her once; we can and will do it again. We are not as weak as we once were, and our number is larger. I am not saying this will be easy, far from it I expect. However, I do not think we should let ourselves worry about the "what ifs"; it will only hamper our ability to act."

"Well said man," Impulse said as he stood from the bench he had been sitting on to pull on his boots. "Let's get the girls and get going then."

The flight to D.C. was short but interesting. As Impulse and Artemis had never fought Poison Ivy before the rest of the team tried to fill them in verbally until Miss Martian came up with the idea for the rest of the team to simply share their memories with the pair. For lack of a better expression, it was a completely trippy experience for Impulse and Artemis to relive the past fight (or in the case of Robin, the past fights) the rest of the team had with the deadly floraphile. They were practically sucked into the memories and saw the same fight from multiple points of view, feeling phantom pains when the originator of the memory recalled being hit. When the entire team had finished sharing their experiences, Impulse and Artemis returned to themselves and had to take a minute to readjust.

"While that was incredibly helpful," Impulse began. "I suggest we don't do that again unless we absolutely have no other option."

"Are you all right?" Miss Martian asked, suddenly concerned. "I didn't do something wrong, did I?"

"No, no you're fine," Artemis replied, waving off the green girl's concern. "It's just incredibly disorienting to go through the same memory from four different perspectives and then return to your own head to try and make sense of it all."

"I'm sorry," Miss Martian replied as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Seriously, no worries," Impulse said. "Just give us a few minutes to shake off the headache and we'll be fine."

"You think about ten will be enough?" Robin asked. "Cause that's all you've got till we reach the gardens."

"We'll make do," Artemis answered as she rubbed her head at her hairline.

"Miss Martian, I believe now would be a good time to put the ship in camouflage mode," Aqualad interrupted. "We do not want any advanced warning of our presence."

"Already on it," Miss Martian responded. Though the Team couldn't tell the difference, anyone on the ground looking below would have seen the red bioship shimmer slightly before winking out of existence completely.

Ten minutes later the six teens arrived at the Botanical Gardens and Miss Martian set the bioship to hovering over the roof. She quickly created an opening in the bottom of the ship, large enough for each of them to slip through and drop to the roof below. Once all of them had made it out of the ship, Miss Martian closed the hatch back up and sent the craft skimming away, though still close enough to be reached telepathically.

"I think the best plan will be to spread out and work in teams of two," Aqualad said as they quietly made their way to the roof exit. "Batman said that there should not be problems with electronic communication, but we should probably keep that to a minimum. Communicate through the telepathic link unless you have no other choice."

"The usual teams?" Robin asked.

"Yes," Aqualad answered. "That should balance out the power and speed between groups. Well, except with you two," he added to Artemis and Impulse.

"No worries, we've managed pretty well so far without a heavy hitter," Impulse replied with a shrug.

"I suppose it helps when one of us can literally run circles around the bad guys and the other one can snipe them off from a distance if need be," Artemis added with a smirk.

"Yes, well, keep a sharp eye out and remember, our first priority is to locate the scientists and find out what has happened here," Aqualad replied.

The Team waited around long enough for Miss Martian to reestablish the telepathic connection before the six of them drifted off in separate directions, conveniently forgetting that the trees, and indeed all of the plants in the large structure, had eyes and every last one of them were intently watching their every move.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Okay, so admittedly this could have gone on a little longer, but when this hit fourteen pages I figured it was time to stop so you guys wouldn't be hit with a big wall of text this update, lol. Well, Wally and Artemis are finally together. I do, however, feel compelled to point out that not much of anything is going to change between them. As Artemis pointed out, they may well have been together this whole time and not really even noticed because their closeness was one that came naturally and only grew deeper with time. Plus, add to the fact that both of them are fairly emotionally closed individuals (who wouldn't be after the lives I've given them…) they don't exactly have any prior experience with loving someone and actually recognizing it for what it is. Long story short, they're together, but please don't expect flowery speeches and over-the-top declarations of love; that's just not who they are. However, if you've liked the way their relationship plays out so far, then don't worry, you can expect much of the same. Oh, and before I get a bunch of reviews on this, I know Barry is Wally's uncle by marriage in Canon-Verse, but I had to tweak that relationship in order for the storyline I've got planned to work. I think that's all I've got by way of explanations this time. If you have any questions, drop me a line and I'll do my best to answer (without giving away any plot details, of course). Don't forget to leave a review! Seriously, you guys make me smile every time I read one! :D


	14. Chapter 14

**AN**: Oh my gosh guys, you're absolutely amazing. I've had a not so great week and seeing all your reviews and how much you've been enjoying this story seriously made a pretty bad day better. As always, and especially after these last few days, a huge and heartfelt thank you for your reviews, favorites and alerts. So, I believe _Justin the Constant Reviewer_ asked if Wally knew that Barry was the Flash and it occurred to me that some of you may be wondering the same thing. To answer your question, no, Wally is not aware of who he is; he only interacts with Barry when he is the Flash. Well, that's all I've got to say for now, so on to chapter fourteen!

**Disclaimer**: I do not, nor ever have (and most likely never will) own/owned Young Justice.

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><p>The inside of the building turned out to be a lot bigger than it looked from the outside. The main floor sprawled over almost two city blocks and was taken up by the Garden's themselves. It was here tourists and visitors could come in, look at and learn about various plants from around the world. Below that were the three basement levels that had been dug and cut from the ground below and spanned almost the entire area of the main floor and then some. Impulse and Artemis had been searching for close to an hour on the middle basement floor and still hadn't found anything. Constant telepathic contact with the rest of the team let them know that no one else had any luck on locating the missing scientists either.<p>

_Are they even here?_, Impulse grumbled over the link as he looked through yet another empty doorway. All six members of the Team had headed right for the three basement levels of the building and had yet to see anything but darkened, empty offices and labs. _How do we know they weren't abducted and taken somewhere else?_

_Their key cards never show them leaving the building_, Aqualad answered.

_So?_, Artemis asked. _Anyone even halfway decent at hacking could get past the system and edit the records. Hell, I could do it in a matter of seconds and I'm sure Bird Boy could get in just as quickly_.

_I'm not sure how I feel about the nickname_, Robin commented offhand. _It's not exactly whelming, though I guess it isn't as bad as it could be_.

_Back to the original question_, Impulse interjected. _How do we know these guys haven't been moved off site? Artemis and I have just about finished our level and we haven't seen anything_.

_We still have the main floor to search_, Miss Martian pointed out.

_I highly doubt whoever is behind this will keep these guys in a highly public area where anyone could find them_, Impulse replied.

_There are a few offices and back rooms up there_, Robin said. _And most of them are kept locked to keep the general public out_.

_All right, well Impulse and I are done here_, Artemis sighed over the link. _We'll just head up and start the search_.

_Be careful_, Aqualad warned. _It has been far too quiet for the length of time we've been here_.

_Maybe we just have awesome ninja skills and no one has noticed yet_, Robin said, though there was a cautious edge to his thoughts that everyone on the link could pick up.

_Perhaps_, Aqualad conceded. _Though if it is Poison Ivy, I find it very hard to believe that she does not yet know we are here_.

_We'll be careful_, Impulse told the rest of the team as he and Artemis headed for the stairs that would take them back up to the garden's themselves. _You guys just hurry it up so we can write this off and get to actually finding these guys_.

Within a few minutes of reaching the main floor, the rest of the team filtered up from the lower levels to join them. It was quickly decided that they could cover more ground individually and the each set off in their own directions. They stayed in constant mental contact with each other, but no one could find anything out of the ordinary.

Artemis was just about to suggest that the team call off the search for the scientists and instead start looking for clues to tell them where they could have gone, when a huge wave of vertigo swept over her, very nearly causing her to black out for a moment. As it was, she stumbled slightly and had to place a hand against the rough bark of a tree to steady herself while her other hand came up and was pressed against the side of her head. For a moment, she struggled to breathe even as something heavy and oppressing pressed against her mind. Then, suddenly it was gone just as quickly as it came and Artemis had to take a few minutes to remember how to breathe normally even as she struggled to get her heart beat back under control. She had just managed to pull herself down off of the fear induced adrenaline high when a sharp lance of panic stabbed through her mind.

_Artemis!_, Miss Martian's frantic voice rang through her mind. _Oh thank heavens! I was so worried!_

_Miss M, calm down!_, Artemis ordered as she winced at the loudness of the tone reverberating through her already aching head. _I need you to calm down and tell me what's going on_.

_I don't know_, Miss Martian said. The volume of her mental voice had dropped, though the panicked edge remained and clung to every word, pressing against Artemis' mind as well. _I don't know what happened exactly. I can't reach any of the boys though! It's like the connection was forcibly cut and I can't even reach their minds anymore! It's like they're not here! What do we do, Artemis? Where are they?_

_M'Gann!_, Artemis ordered, risking using the girl's real name in an attempt to calm her. _I don't know what happened, but freaking out about it won't do us any good. We need to regroup, where are you?_ She waited for the Martian girl to pull herself together so she could tell the archer where to go. She tried to keep her own panic and worry from passing through their shared connection. If the Martian girl couldn't reach any of the boys that meant Impulse was missing and a deep seated fear began to claw at her heart. He couldn't be gone, he just couldn't be. She closed her eyes and took a moment to just breathe. When her grey eyes snapped open they were cold and filled with resolve. She would find him and whoever tried to rip him away from her would be intimately learning the meaning of pain.

About ten minutes later Artemis had located the small office Miss Martian had secluded herself in and slipped inside. "All right, so what exactly happened?" she asked immediately.

"I'm not really sure," the Martian answered, her voice steadier and not as panicked, though there was still an undercurrent of worry that showed in the way she kept her arms locked over her chest and her bottom lip was between her teeth. "One minute I had a link established with every one and then the next I feel the links with the boys being ripped away. I tried to keep them connected, but it didn't work and in my panic I think I may have pulled some energy from you across the link."

"Well, that explains my near blackout and the sense of vertigo," Artemis grumbled.

"I'm sorry," Miss Martian replied, instantly apologetic.

"Just make sure you don't do it again," Artemis replied. "An almost blacked-out archer is next to useless and dangerous if the bow happens to be drawn. Now, let's get out of here and see if we can find the guys; it's only been a few minutes, they can't have gotten far."

"Right," the green girl answered as she followed the blonde archer, both choosing to ignore the fact that Impulse could be well on his way to the other side of the world by now.

The girls left the room and worked their way through the building, methodically searching and trying to find their missing teammates. Miss Martian kept up a mental search for the boys and Artemis attempted to contact them over the comm links; she'd even gone so far as to try and reach Impulse over the personal link they kept on them at all times. However, despite their efforts, the lines responded with nothing but static and Miss Martian couldn't find a single trace of their minds. They stuck to the shadows as they searched, making sure to stay as hidden as possible.

Suddenly Artemis heard something fly past her ear and hit the tree behind her with a definite "thunk" before a loud beeping split the still air around her. She and Miss Martian spun around, eyes wide when the recognized one of Robin's exploding bird-a-rangs firmly embedded in the tree behind them. They had just enough time to throw themselves to the ground before the thing blew up, sending chunks of wood and metal shrapnel flying out in every direction.

Artemis got up, fighting against the ringing in her ears and the various wounds that now littered her body, and glared off in the direction the weapon had come from. "What the hell?" she snarled when she saw Robin step out of the shadows. "What was that for, Bird Head?"

Robin didn't answer as he pulled out two smoke bombs and tossed them at Artemis and Miss Martian. The look on his face was lax and blank, as though he didn't recognize either of them anymore.

_Artemis, what's happening?_, Miss Martian asked frantically.

_No idea_, she growled back over the link. _But we better get out of here. You know him, the smoke screen is a cover so they can rush us_.

_They?_, Miss Martian panicked.

_They_, Artemis responded. _If Bird Boy is acting off, I think it's a safe bet the rest of them will be as well_.

As if to prove her words true, a wordless yell sounded around them as Superboy same rushing at the girls the second they had cleared the smoke screen.

"Oh come on," Artemis groaned as she just barely managed to slip past the tank-like teen. Behind her, she heard the tell-tale startup of Aqualad's weapons and flipped out of the way just in time. She felt a thin, wet line open on her cheek and realized that the water blade had just barely glanced her. When she had put some distance between herself and the two power houses of the team she chanced a glance back and saw that Miss Martian had her hands full fending off Robin. Growling, she launched herself into a back handspring to put some distance between herself and the two boys. As expected, they chased after her and she soon found herself being herded backwards.

"What are we going to do, Artemis?" Miss Martian asked when she and the archer had been herded close together. "We can't fight them."

"We need to get out of here," Artemis growled back. "This whole set up seems like Ivy's MO and we're not going to get anywhere with the boys herding us like this and all these plants watching our every move." She suddenly launched herself into a roundhouse kick that sent Robin flying back into Aqualad and Superboy before she turned around and grabbed Miss Martian's hand, dragging her along as she took off at a dead run. "Well, at least now we know they aren't operating at 100 percent," she said aloud. "Robin could have blocked that kick if he was himself and there's no way Aqualad or Superboy would have just stood there and let him slam into them even if it had."

Neither girl said another word as Artemis pulled them into an abandoned office and immediately went about barricading the door. When she was satisfied with her work she spun around and pointed to the air vent. "Get the cover off," she commanded Miss Martian. "That's our way out of here but make sure to put the grate back once we're through."

Miss Martian only nodded silently and did as she was told, quickly following after the blonde archer as the two girls made their way through the air vents and back up to the roof. "Now what?" she asked once at least fifty feet and a concrete roof separated them from their current problem.

"Now we try and figure out where Ivy is hiding," Artemis said as she carefully made her way over to the glass roof and sat down at the edge.

"Shouldn't we call the League?" Miss Martian asked as she joined her. "We're in over our heads here."

"No, we can handle this," Artemis replied. "We've just got to find Ivy and take her down."

"How can you be so calm?" Miss Martian demanded suddenly. "These are our friends! We can't fight them like we normally do and we haven't even seen Impulse at all! Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I'm worried," Artemis bit back, her calm facade completely gone as a cold rage took its place. "We've seen Robin, Aqualad and Superboy, but Impulse is still missing and he's really the only one I care about, so of course I'm worried. I'm also pissed because this bitch seems to think that he and the others are puppets to play with and use as she sees fit. However, I don't have the luxury of allowing these emotions through because, of the two of us, I'm apparently the only one capable of keeping my head and we need at least one of us coherent right now!"

Miss Martian regarded the archer for a moment, her large brown eyes blinking slowly. "You're...you're right," she said at last. "I'm sorry."

"You're just worried," Artemis sighed. "I'd probably be lashing out right now if Impulse was here to keep a cool head for the both of us, but he's not so I've got to," she added in an attempt to placate the Martian girl. The irony of it all wasn't lost on her either and her lips quirked upwards in a wry smile even as a harsh laugh escaped her up through her throat.

"What's so funny?" Miss Martian asked, confused.

"Just that, of the two of us, Impulse is able to stay calm and collected a lot easier than I can," Artemis replied with another harsh chuckle. "His powers basically cause him to need to be in constant motion and sitting still has become the most difficult task imaginable, but he's still the more level headed of the two of us. On the other hand, my abilities with the bow basically demand focus and concentration and yet I'm the one that's more easily riled up. I usually rely on him to keep the level head in situations like this. It just amuses me, I suppose."

"Don't worry, Artemis, we'll get them back," Miss Martian assured her.

"I know we will," Artemis said as a steely glint entered her eyes. "Now let's find this bitch and get our boys back."

"Right behind you," Miss Martian responded, her voice much more steady than it was just a few minutes before.

It didn't take too long for the girls to locate Poison Ivy from their position on the roof; after they found the boys and tracked them back through the jungle to the woman controlling them.

_There she is_, Miss Martian relayed telepathically even as she pointed down below them to the redheaded woman.

_And there's Impulse_, Artemis replied, her eyes trained on the boy standing almost docile next to him. It unnerved her to see him so still, it seemed so wrong. _All right, let's go_, she added as she stood from her flat position on the roof and stalked back towards the door that would allow them back into the gardens below.

_Wait, Artemis!_, Miss Martian called as she raced to catch up. _We don't have a plan yet!_

_I'll distract her, keep her busy_, Artemis replied. _Maybe we can break Impulse free if I keep her distracted long enough_.

_How?_, Miss Martian asked.

_Impulse has a fast metabolism_, Artemis answered. _Whatever she's using to control them will spread through his system fast before wearing off just as quickly. That's why she's keeping him close, so she can keep dosing him when he starts to come back. If I can distract her enough so she forgets to dose him, or better yet get him moving so the drug will spread even faster, we might be able to bring him back_.

_But that's assuming the drug isn't airborne_, Miss Martian pointed out.

_It's not_, Artemis returned. _If it was, she wouldn't need to keep Impulse close. It's either spread by touch or by injection_.

_Okay, so what do I do?_, Miss Martian asked.

_You'll need to keep the other three off me_, Artemis replied. _You don't have to outright fight them physically_, she added when she began to feel the other girl's panic. _Just keep them busy, lead them on a chase through the gardens. You can turn invisible and fly, right? Use that to your advantage_.

_I can do that_, Miss Martian answered resolutely. _But that will still leave you facing Impulse and Poison Ivy_.

_Impulse won't be a problem_, Artemis replied, completely certain. _I can bring him back easy enough. Besides, I know him and I know his moves. Especially if he's acting on muscle memory and not thinking at the moment_.

_If you're sure_, Miss Martian replied before she pulled up the hood to her cape and shimmered out of existence. _Good luck_.

_You too_, Artemis returned before she made her way as quietly as possible down the stairs. She paused at the doors to the main floor and waited for Miss Martian to make her move. She didn't have to wait long before she saw all three boys shoot past her hiding spot behind the door, chasing after the green skinned girl as she wove through the trees. "Keep it up, you can do this," she whispered after the other girl quietly, not wanting to draw attention to herself or distract the telekinetic girl. When she was sure they were far enough away not to cause her problems, she carefully eased the door open and slid out onto the main floor. She darted through the trees and over low growing plants until she found herself in the center of a small clearing, staring down the sights of her arrow, trained on older woman.

"So there were two of you," Ivy drawled. "I thought so. Clever, to try and split the forces, but you'll find yourself severely outmatched, regardless."

"Please, a few plants are nothing," Artemis snarled. "They're nothing but a minor annoyance."

"Perhaps to you, you uncultured brat," Ivy hissed before a dangerous smirk graced her lips. "But that's not what I meant. That little green girl may have led the two bigger boys away, but I still have speed on my side and that's all I need to take care of you quickly. Then I can sit back and wait for the others to get rid of the other one."

"Really?" Artemis scoffed. "That's all you're threatening me with? He's hardly a threat to me."

"Bluffing won't work, brat," Ivy replied.

"Fine, suit yourself," Artemis retorted with a slight, unconcerned shrug of her shoulder. "Just don't say I didn't give you fair warning."

"Get her," Ivy snarled and Impulse shot forward almost immediately.

That brief delay between the order being given and Impulse following it was all Artemis needed to brace herself for the punch that she knew must be coming and get ready to react. She had dropped her bow and arrows before Impulse had reached her and forced herself to remain as loose as possible. What she was about to do was something they had been practicing lately, for no other reason than it made Artemis react more quickly and honed her instincts, though she had yet to get it right. _First time for everything_, she reminded herself as she felt Impulse's fist slam into her gut. Even as she doubled over and tried to breathe normally she brought her arms up, hoping to catch him before he sped away. She was both surprised and pleased when her hands locked around his wrist before he could jerk away. "It's me," she told him, looking him right in his blank and emotionless eyes. "Wally, it's me," she added in a whisper that only the two of them could hear.

"Artemis?" Impulse asked after a moment, his eyes clearing a little.

"Yeah, it's me," Artemis responded with a small smile. "Come on, fight it. Ivy's got something in your system to put you under her control. Vibrate your molecules or something, but get moving to burn it out faster."

Unfortunately for the pair, a loud boom from somewhere in the forest behind them drew their attention away from their surroundings.

"Probably Superboy knocking over a tree," Artemis said aloud before she felt Impulse being yanked from her grip. She looked up to see a large, thick vine tightening around his body even as it pulled him back beside Ivy. She watched as he struggled for a few moments before Ivy placed a hand on his cheek and he stopped moving entirely, the blank and emotionless look coming back into his eyes.

"I suppose I should congratulate you," Ivy said as she stepped away from Impulse. "You certainly did better than I thought you would, but your best will not be enough."

Artemis watched as the large, ugly purple and yellow flower at the head of the vine opened wide to reveal a big, thin, needle-like thorn. It shifted slightly and came to a stop near the base of Impulse's neck, not quite pressing through the suit and into the flesh, but certainly close enough.

"Speedsters have always presented a problem for me," Ivy continued conversationally. "They burn through my toxins too quickly for them to do any lasting damage or for them to make effective puppets. But, you see, I've been working on that problem. The poison in this plant will work with the fast metabolism of the speedsters to spread its toxins quickly; first incapacitating them and then killing them. I haven't had the chance to test this in the field quite yet, so this boy will make the perfect test subject," she added as she grabbed onto Impulse's chin.

"Like hell!" Artemis snarled and threw herself forward. She made a faint towards Ivy, but changed course at the last minute to dive at Impulse, intent on putting herself between the plant and the boy. They both went crashing to the ground and she felt something sharp prick her side before she turned and all but ripped the flower from the stem. She rose to her feet, ready to face Ivy, when she noticed her vision was starting to get blurry.

"What have you done?" the older woman screeched as she rushed over to the destroyed plant.

At that point Artemis was finding it increasingly difficult to keep herself steady on her feet and finally felt herself pitch forward just as her vision went dark. She thought she heard M'Gann call her name and she was almost positive she heard Dick radioing for back up, but that just didn't fit with what had been happening and suddenly she didn't think at all.

When Artemis woke up, the first thing she noticed were the scratchy sheets and the hospital-like smell. _Well, I'm not dead then_, she thought to herself. _Unless I've gone to hell. Which, now that I think about it, is a very real possibility and the most likely place I'll end up_. Then the steady beeping of a heart monitor cut through the fog and she knew she wasn't dead. She cracked her eyes open and the first thing she saw was a bright, vibrant head of red hair. As her senses began to come back she felt a tight, firm grip on her left hand and for a moment she was content to just watch the steady rise and fall of her best friend's shoulders as he breathed deeply and evenly in his sleep.

"Wally," she finally croaked out around a surprisingly dry throat. Almost instantly, his head was up and his vibrant, alert green eyes were trained on her. She smiled softly at the relief she saw within their depths, though a frown quickly took its place when a dark look entered Wally's eyes and his lips narrowed into a flat, harsh line. She watched as he dropped her hand as though it burned and rose from his chair by her medical bay bed before he stalked off to the bathroom, angrily grabbing a plastic cup along the way. When he came back a few seconds later he shoved a half full cup at her and barely waited for her to take it before he let go. "How long was I out?" she asked after she had gulped down most of the water and her throat didn't feel as scratchy.

"About three days, almost four," he bit back with a glance at his watch before falling back into a sullen and moody silence.

"What's going on?" Artemis asked, more than a little worried by this point. She had seen Wally angry before; she'd even seen him well and truly pissed, but never at her. Sure, they'd had their fair share of disagreements, but they've never been flat out pissed at each other, like Wally was now.

"You almost died," Wally snarled at her and for a moment he felt bad when he saw her flinch back. Then he remembered waking up from that trance, for the second time, just to learn that Artemis was in the medical bay and they weren't entirely sure she was going to make it out alive.

"Okay, and?" Artemis challenged, her own hackles rising.

"And?" Wally parroted incredulously. "You're seriously asking that? You almost died!" he yelled, bursting to his feet, his hands clenched tightly at his side. "You almost left me," he added softly, refusing to meet her eyes.

The hard glint in Artemis' eyes vanished and she lifted one hand to reach for Wally. "Come here," she told him. When he resolutely remained where he was, staring furiously at the floor, she sighed. "Please Wally, I'm cold."

Wally didn't say a word, but climbed onto the bed next to her and let her wrap her arms around his torso to hug him close.

"I'm still alive, you know," Artemis said after a few minutes of silence. "See?" she added as she gently grabbed one of his hands and placed it on her chest, over her heart. "It's still beating Wally."

"It almost wasn't," Wally said at last, pulling her as close as he could without hurting her, almost like he was trying to mesh them into one being. "I almost lost you Artemis."

"I could have just as easily lost you," Artemis reminded him gently. "She had you trapped in that vine and drugged up and she was threatening to kill you; poison you with the stuff that got me," she shuddered at the memory of the needle-like thorn pressing against Wally's neck and listening to Poison Ivy talk about him as though he was nothing more than a lab rat. She paused and clung to him tighter for a moment. "I acted without thinking about it. You're mad at me because I almost died, because you don't want to lose me, but think about it for a minute; I can't lose you either Wally. If it means I have to die to keep you alive then that's what I'm going to do. Don't try to argue with me on that," she added when she felt Wally tense. "I know you feel the exact same way I do."

For a moment the room was completely silent until Wally started laughing. "What a fine pair we make. We promise each other forever and always and yet the second one of us is in danger we're ready to abandon that and die on the spot."

"That's the way love works Wally," Artemis replied. "But that doesn't mean we can't have forever and always and still keep each other safe. We just need to keep doing what we have been; watching each other's backs and keeping each other safe."

"Just promise me you'll be careful, please," Wally said as he buried his face into her hair. "I can't lose you, Beautiful. Not now, not ever."

"You won't Wally, I promise," Artemis replied as she snuggled in closer. "You're stuck with me."

Wally didn't say anything in return. Instead, he grasped her chin and gently tilted her head up to place a kiss on her lips. "I think I can live with that," he whispered to her when he pulled back for air.

"Good," Artemis whispered back before she pulled him back in.

A few minutes later the pair sat curled up beneath the blankets on Artemis' hospital bed. Artemis was carefully ensconced in Wally's arms, dozing on and off as she listened to the steady beating of his heart.

"What did I miss?" she finally asked.

"Whatever Ivy was using to drug us was short lived," Wally replied, knowing immediately she had been talking about the mission. "I suppose it helped that M'Gann had the rest of the guys running around trying to catch her. That loud boom we heard the first time I was coming out of it was Conner breaking down a wall Ivy had hidden the scientists behind. The rest of them got them out and came back for us in time to see you falling. I was still out at that point, but Dick had radioed for back up and the Leaguers in the area came in, did what they could to get you stable and then sent us packing back here while they cleaned up the mess Ivy made."

"Any reason why Ivy went after those scientists in the first place?" Artemis asked.

"I was still shaking off the effects of the drug when we were herded outside, but I think I heard one of the scientists talking about being forced to make a long lasting compound similar to what she uses that can be mixed into a solution and not be diluted," Wally answered. "It also can't affect anything in the solution either."

"Well that sounds fairly familiar," Artemis said. "Would I be correct in assuming that no one is telling us anything? Again?"

"Give the lady a prize," Wally grumbled right back. "Batman's giving us the usual BS that they're still running tests of their own and Black Canary is continuing to play dumb to the whole thing."

"This is ridiculous," Artemis growled. "If you had a sample I'm sure you could have it broken down and analyzed within the week."

"Actually, I might be able to," Wally replied thoughtfully.

"What are you talking about?" Artemis asked as she straightened in his arms to look him in the eye.

"I managed to pocket a small vial of the stuff we found in South America a few weeks back," Wally replied. "I stashed back in my lab that weekend after we got back. We've been busy with a lot of other things since then, so I let it slip my mind, but I'm sensing some free time coming up and I don't know about you, but I'm sick of fighting this thing blind."

"Bats can shove it for all I care at this point," Artemis replied with a dangerous smirk. "I say it's high time we found out what's really going on."

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Well, chapter fourteen is done. I don't have much to say this time around, except to thank all you wonderful people once again for all the alerts/favorites/reviews. You guys seriously make me smile and I love to read the theories you guys come up with :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please don't forget to review!


	15. Chapter 15

**AN**: Hey guys, I'm so, so sorry that this chapter took this long to get out. I admit I got sidetracked with my own original work (which is done by the way. I mean completely, 100%, edited and cleaned up done! :D) and I've been busy applying for scholarships and such for graduate school. Anyways, a huge thank you for all the reviews, favorites and alerts :) I'm really glad you're all still enjoying this story. Now please accept twenty pages in Word as an apology and don't forget to leave me a review please!

_Important-ish Note_: So you may (or may not have) noticed that I changed the summary for the story. I had a reviewer point out that Wally and Artemis' reactions and thoughts on the League are anything but apathetic, which was what I was portraying in the summary. I've been meaning to change that, but kept forgetting, so thank you for the heads up on that :) That same reviewer also pointed out that some of the facts were a little too unbelievable, namely Artemis and Wally having their "lab" and everything that goes with it using what little disposable income they've got. As such, I've tweaked chapter one a tiny, tiny little bit (the flow of the story is still the same so there's no reason to go back and re-read that if you don't want to). Basically, Wally and Artemis would bribe guards to get into places (like Gotham Chemicals Laboratory or Gotham Technological Institute) and then go "shopping" for what they needed (yes, that means they'd steal, but I actually think that's a bit more believable for them and their situation than trying to keep them completely on the right side of the law. In "video game terms" I think of them more as "Chaotic Neutral", maybe "Chaotic Good", if the mood strikes them right, lol). If you'd rather have it the original way, please feel free to ignore this completely :)

**Disclaimer**: I do not, never have, and never will own Young Justice (though if I did this indefinite hiatus would not be happening...)

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><p>Wally and Artemis didn't hang around after she was discharged from the medical bay. Instead they'd waited long enough to let the rest of the team know that, yes, Artemis was alive and yes, she would be just fine before catching the first zeta tube back to Gotham. If anyone thought their suddenly reclusive behavior was odd, they chalked it up to the stress of the last mission and the fact that the pair hadn't been home in over a month. For their part, Wally and Artemis did nothing to discourage this assumption and simply let the rest of the team and their mentors think what they wanted.<p>

They ended up having to wait a day to get to their lab because their mothers had just about gone ballistic when they showed up, a little battered and bruised. Wally, of course, didn't have anything much worse than a quickly fading purple mark on his cheek as most of his other injuries had already healed themselves. Artemis, however, was not as lucky. Though she had healed quite nicely while she was out, she still had a normal paced metabolism and that left her looking a bit worse for the wear and a clean white bandage still covering where the thorn had entered her skin. Neither of them had given any particular thought to this before returning home and had to think on their feet when their mothers demanded to know what had happened. Despite how fast his brain could work, it was Artemis who actually came up with the plausible excuse.

"We had an accident in gym," Artemis had lied smoothly. "It was a dodge ball game gone horribly, horribly wrong."

Their mothers had frowned, concerned that no one had thought to inform them that their children had gotten hurt, but brushed it aside in favor of making sure they were all right for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, that made it all the more difficult for Wally and Artemis to slip away, though by the next day they had worn their mothers down with arguments that the school wouldn't have let them travel home if they hadn't thought them recovered enough to do so.

"Besides," Wally had said. "I managed to escape the worst of it so I'm perfectly capable of looking out for the both of us."

Their mothers had been concerned, but finally relented, especially when they figured that the two best friends would most likely head out of the apartment as soon as they left for work.

"So what are we looking at here?" Artemis asked from her perch on the work bench next to the machine Wally was using.

"I'm not sure yet," Wally replied. "There's something about this that makes it seem almost familiar, but I can't place why." He sat back in his chair with a tired sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "I've been at this for two hours already, you'd think I'd have something to show for it," he grumbled as he let his eyes wander over the ceiling above him.

"Well, you did figure out it's composed of two different acting agents, right?" Artemis said. "That's something."

Suddenly Wally sat bolt upright, his attention on a small patch of gunk stuck to the stones above and just to his left. Without a word, he was out of his chair and dashing around the lab in a blur.

"What are you looking for?" Artemis called to him from her place on the table.

"This," Wally replied as he came zipping right back carrying a beaker full of some mostly dried bluish goop.

"Is that the stuff that exploded on us?" Artemis questioned.

"And gave us our powers? Yeah, this is the stuff," Wally answered. "And at the moment, I'm glad we've been too busy to really scrub this place clean." Without another word, he sat back down and, in a flurry of activity that Artemis could just barely track, he was off and running test after test.

"So?" she asked once Wally slowed down to grab a bag of chips and a soda.

"Well, I've pretty much identified one of the components," Wally answered. "It's a compound a lot like what gave us our abilities; it draws out the latent talents within whoever takes it."

"So is this the cause of all those super powered teenagers we've been fighting lately?" Artemis pressed.

"Most likely, yes," Wally replied. "But this stuff is dangerous."

"How so?"

"Well, when we got our powers from my goop, it did more than just draw out latent abilities," Wally explained. "Somehow, it altered our DNA, our chemical make-up, everything basically, so our bodies and systems could support our abilities. This stuff," he continued with a gesture to the beaker they'd raided. "It just draws out the abilities without altering the system to actually be able to support it."

"What does that mean then?" Artemis asked, not liking where this was going.

"It means that these kids are literally burning themselves out," Wally answered. "These abilities they get are eating away at them, taking more and more energy each time they use them until there won't be anything left to take. My guess is that's why some of them die right after being injected; their systems can't handle the abilities it's trying to draw out so it shuts down instead."

"Why would anyone go along with that?" Artemis wondered. "Why would anyone put themselves through that?"

"I don't think they actually know about the negatives," Wally said. "When we were in South America the scientists, and I use that term very, very loosely, didn't seem to know about it and even if they did, you can bet that they wouldn't tell any of the teenagers they've been abducting. Besides, think about it for a minute Arty, the kids they've been taking have been coming from places like here," he added with a sweep of his arms to indicate the city outside their little haven. "Would you give up power, or even a chance at power, even if you knew the risks?"

"Okay, you've got a point," Artemis sighed tiredly. "But what about the blank, zombie-like impersonations they're pulling? If I suddenly got the powers those kids are getting you can bet I wouldn't listen to a single word anyone else tried to tell me; I'd go and do whatever the hell I wanted."

"My guess is that it has something to so with the second compound formula that I could spot," Wally replied.

"Ivy?" Artemis ventured. "She had you boys completely docile and at her beck and call. It was kind of disturbing how blank you were," she added with a shudder.

"Sorry," Wally replied with a small smile as he reached out a hand and tangled his fingers with hers.

"Not your fault," Artemis answered softly, squeezing Wally's fingers in return.

"It probably wasn't Ivy though," Wally said, pulling them back on topic. "Remember, whoever started this had only just decided to maybe bring her in. Besides, whatever she uses is so far only effective on males and the "zombie state" of the victim doesn't change in a fight. The teenagers we've faced have lashed out at us, gotten angry when we've fought them, so I doubt that second compound has anything to do with Ivy."

"Who else is there?" Artemis asked.

"I don't know," Wally admitted. "But the rest of the team might."

"So we're going to tell them what you've found out?" Artemis reiterated.

"They need to know. These powers the other kids are getting are eating away at them every time they use them," Wally replied. "The more we fight them and make them use their abilities, the faster we're killing them."

"Do you think the League knows?" Artemis questioned softly.

"Maybe, who knows?" Wally answered. "But whether they do or not doesn't change the fact that I'm telling the rest of the team. We joined up with them so we could continue to help people that actually need it. Helping other teenagers slowly kill themselves when they probably don't even know what that formula is doing to them is not what I signed up for."

"It's not what either of us signed on for," Artemis assured him. "And I'm sure the rest of the team feels the same way."

By the time Monday rolled around Wally had gotten no closer to isolating the second half of the compound and, truth be told, it was making him a little irritable.

"All right man, you look like you're five seconds from decking somebody because they looked at you funny," Dick told the redhead at lunch. "Being angsty and ready to punch someone is usually Conner's gig, so what happened?"

"We found out about something," Wally replied in a low growl, too preoccupied in his own thoughts to catch the nervous look that briefly passed through the original members of the team.

"We'll tell you later," Artemis answered as Wally took a particularly vicious stab at his notebook, the pen held tightly in his hands.

"It's like this formula shouldn't exist," the red head hissed to himself as he scratched out yet another line on the already mostly scribbled out page, except for a line of formula at the very top of the page, circled multiple times. "Nothing I can think of would combine correctly to form this!"

"Dude, why do you have a modified version of the Blockbuster Formula written in your notebook?" Dick asked slowly after leaning over to see what Wally had been grumbling about. "That information is supposed to be locked up tight; no one should know about it; aside from the League, Kaldur, Conner, Roy and myself."

"The what?" Wally demanded, his head shooting up to stare at the youngest member of the team. "You know what this is?" he pressed, gesturing to the top of the page and completely ignoring Dick's question.

"Well, yeah," Dick replied. "At least I know what the base is; I did experience its effects first hand."

"Where?" Wally pressed. "And what is it?" he added in a hiss.

"I can't tell you here," Dick answered with a furtive look around the bust lunch room. "Let's all meet up after classes; it sounds like we've got a lot to talk about."

The second the bell rung to end classes for the day, the six teens converged in the courtyard before silently making their way to Dick and Wally's dorm. It was only after the doors and windows were shut tight and the rooms were thoroughly searched for any listening ears that they sat in the living room.

"So, you said you found something?" Kaldur prompted after a moment of silence as he looked between Wally and Artemis.

"Found out something," Wally clarified as he scowled at the carpet in front of him. "After our run in with Ivy I'd gotten fed up with not being told anything so I took matters into my own hands. Over the weekend I took the opportunity to analyze a sample of the compound I, uh, _liberated_ a while back."

"Okay, and?" Dick pressed when Wally paused for a moment. "What did you find?"

"It's similar in some ways to the original formulae that gave Artemis and me our powers, but not entirely. My compound altered our DNA, our very internal make-up, to accommodate the changes and make it possible for us to use our abilities with little to no negative repercussions," Wally explained. "This thing they're distributing? It doesn't do that. As best as I can tell, which is pretty damn well, this formula taps into a person's potential and allows them to use the abilities we've seen, but their basic make-up is still only that of a regular human."

"Meaning?" Dick asked.

"Meaning these powers of theirs are eating away at them!" Wally yelled suddenly. "They have these abilities, but their bodies can't sustain them for long before wearing out! Every time we fight these kids, every time they use their abilities, they're killing themselves a little more. We're watching a slow form of suicide and we're only speeding up the process every time we fight them."

"So the question remains, do our mentors know and they just aren't telling us?" Artemis hissed.

"I do not think they do," Kaldur replied. "I cannot think they would send us out to fight these teenagers if they knew it was killing them."

"Maybe, maybe not," Wally snorted disdainfully. "As far as I'm concerned the jury's still out until I see evidence otherwise. Anyway, you said you knew this formula," he added, changing the subject as he pulled out the beaten up page he had been scribbling on at lunch. "What is it, what does it do and where have you seen it before?"

"I've sort of seen it," Dick interjected. "Like I said at lunch, the base looks a lot like the Blockbuster Formula, but it's been modified."

"And the Blockbuster Formula is?" Wally pressed.

"Something Cadmus was working on," Conner spoke up. "Before their underground research labs were destroyed anyway."

"You say Cadmus like we should know what it is," Artemis grumbled.

"It's where we found Conner," Dick said with a vague motion towards the older teen. "He wasn't the only project they had going though. They were working on the Blockbuster Formula which was supposedly going to enhance the users strength and speed, but the side effects left you looking like some muscle-bound monster; completely with skin peeling off and gashes all over the body from where it grew too much too fast. It also left you fairly mindless; pretty much in a directionless rage."

Wally was quiet for a moment as he looked over his notes. "If that really is the base, then it explains why those kids go from flat to pissed when they're told to attack, but it doesn't explain why they're nothing but calm zombies in the first place."

"It's probably whatever they mixed with it," Dick pointed out. "They had to have added something else to block the monsterizing effects as well."

"If you know the formula, is it possible to make a cure?" M'Gann asked. "Can we reverse the effects before it's too late."

"Yes and no," Wally answered with a tired sigh. "Even though the formula is the same, the way it reacts within each person is highly individual. I'd need a sample from each person affected in order to pull together a cure that will work correctly within their systems. I can, however, synthesize a block that should hold the effects at bay long enough for me to pull together a cure. Unfortunately, it'll shut down all but the necessary functions in order to keep these teens from burning out too quickly."

"Even that's only a reactionary step," Artemis said. "We need to figure out how to get this stuff off the streets for good."

"And how would we do that?" Conner asked. "We don't know who's making this stuff or where it's being shipped out to."

"We may not, but the League has to know something," Dick said thoughtfully, a mischievous smirk spreading across his face. "They send us out on all our missions, don't they?"

"You're not seriously suggesting we just walk right up to Batman and tell him everything we found out and then demand to know what's going on, are you?" Wally asked incredulously. "Cause that's worked so well for us in the past."

"Psh, of course not!" Dick scoffed. "That would be a disaster, heavy on the dis. Besides, he won't tell us anything anyway. Now, the computers on the other hand, they'll have all the information we'll need," he added with an amused cackle.

"Hack into the system?" Artemis questioned with a raised eyebrow before a smirk of her own settled on her lips. "I like the way you think, Bird Boy, but is it possible? They've got to have everything at least triple encrypted."

"It'll be a piece of cake," Dick grinned. "It's the same system as the Batcave and I've hacked that plenty of times."

"I don't know whether to be impressed or disturbed," Wally said before he smiled a wicked grin. "Though I think I'm leaning more towards impressed."

"Are you sure this is wise?" Kaldur interrupted, trying to be the voice of reason. "Perhaps we should just wait for our next assigned mission."

"Look, there's one of two scenarios at play here," Artemis retorted. "Either a, the mentors know exactly what's happening and yet they're keeping us in the dark, meaning we can't trust them to be acting in the best interest of the civilians. Or b, they have absolutely no clue what this compound is doing and therefore have no idea that every mission we go out on with these teenagers involved is only putting them at further risk. Either way, we know what's happening and we need to act before this whole thing gets worse than it already is. So, you in or out?" she asked, looking at each person in turn.

"Do you even need to ask me?" Wally replied.

"No, and I wasn't asking you," Artemis answered. "I already know you're answer."

"I'm going, duh," Dick said. "You're good, Artemis, but you'll need me to get into the League computers."

"I'm going," Conner piped up.

"If Conner's going, then so am I," M'Gann added.

"I will go with you, my friends," Kaldur said at last. "You are right that something needs to be done."

"Good!" Artemis crowed. "So, now we just need to figure out when."

"Well, we've got a mandatory overnight stay at the base tomorrow," Dick replied. "I can hack the computers then and at least get us pointed in the right direction."

"Tomorrow's my night in Central City," Wally reminded them. "You'll have to get it taken care of without me."

"No offense man, but it's not that big of a deal," Dick returned with a smirk. "I'm pretty sure Artemis and I can handle hacking in easily enough."

"Just be careful with it," Wally replied. "We don't want them knowing what we're up to before we have a chance to get started."

When classes let out on Tuesday the six teenagers made their way to the bus stop and waited as patiently as possible to get to the transporter that would whisk them off the their mountain base. Wally had enough time to finish up a few assignments and eat dinner with the team before the Flash showed up to pull him to Central.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to go until ten, like always," Wally said as he trailed after his mentor to the locker rooms so he could change.

"Normally, yes, but today's your lucky day," the red suited hero joked.

"Really? And how do you figure that?" Wally asked.

"Well, with all the extra time we'll have today, I thought we could work on running through solid objects," the Flash answered with an unrepentant grin on his face. "By the end of the night we might just have you doing it like a pro. No more nose bleeds or getting stuck halfway through for you!"

"That hardly happens anymore," Wally grumbled as he pulled his cowl over his face and adjusted his goggles. "Only when I'm running low on energy and I try to force it anyway."

"Well, let's see if we can't fix that," the Flash replied before turning on his heel and taking off in a red blur.

After almost two hours of running around Central City, with the occasional lesson thrown in, Impulse skidded to a stop, crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his mentor in red. He had been asking a lot of questions, mostly about his personal life, and after asking about his family, in particular his father, alarm bells began to go off in his head.

"All right, enough games," he demanded. "Just what's going on here?"

"What do you mean?" the Flash asked as he backtracked a few steps.

"Usually I meet you here, these things start at ten, go till one or two, and then I go back home," Impulse said. "You never come get me, you never tell me to be almost six hours early, and we never chat back and forth like you have some sort of interest in my life. So, I ask again, what's going on?"

"And what makes you think something is wrong?" the Flash returned, jovial smile still on his face.

"Do I really need to go through that list again?" Impulse replied.

"All right, all right," the Flash chuckled. "You're still not very trusting, are you? I figured after a few months of this you'd feel less hostile if I started asking about your life. I swear I'm not trying to find out who you are," he added as he raised his hands, palms out. "It's your business if you ever want to tell me. I'm simply trying to get to know my sidekick a little better."

"I'm not a sidekick," Impulse growled.

"You're right, you're right," the Flash placated. "That was poor wording choice on my part. I just thought I'd get to know you a little better since we'll be working together for the foreseeable future."

Impulse eyed his mentor warily for a few more minutes before he let out a slightly exasperated sigh. "Fine," he replied. "But I reserve the right to refuse to answer anything I don't want to, and I get to ask questions of my own if I choose."

"You never do anything for free, do you?" the Flash asked thoughtfully. "You and Artemis always seem to make some sort of deal."

"Yeah, well, when you grow up where we did that's generally how you survive," Impulse answered sullenly. "You don't live very long if you're not watching your back and making sure you come out on top of any deal you make."

For a brief moment it almost looked as though the Flash's smile fell from his face to be replaced by a frown and pained, worried eyes, but it was gone so fast, the smile back in place, that Impulse wasn't even sure he'd seen it in the first place.

The Flash let him go back to the Mount at midnight, claiming it had been a fairly slow night and all the extra lessons he had been running Impulse through were probably making him more tired than he let on. Not one to complain, or one to stick around longer than necessary, Impulse had rocketed off the second he was told he was free to go. He made his way to the closest zeta transport spot and was out and off towards his room before the mechanical voice had even finished announcing his arrival.

Wally let himself collapse onto his bed without bothering to change, thinking instead to take a few minutes to relax.

"So, any injuries I should know about?" Artemis asked as she walked into his room not even a minute later.

"No, it was quiet tonight," Wally mumbled around the pillow his face was currently pressed against.

"And yet you're lying there limp," the blonde pointed out as she plopped onto the bed and nudged her boyfriend over to get some space.

Wally finally rolled over onto his side to face Artemis, immediately wrapping his arms around her and dragging her close. "Just tired," he told her as he buried his face into her hair. "He had my running around and practicing a lot today."

"So is that why you were called away early?" Artemis question while she made herself comfortable snuggled against his chest. "And you're probably going to want to change before you go to sleep; your suit isn't very comfortable to sleep against," she added with a teasing smile.

"Probably," Wally sighed, even as he untangled himself from his girlfriend and stood up. He dug around under his pillow for the spare set of pjs he kept at the Mount before he quickly stripped from his suit and changed. He slid back under the covers, pulling Artemis close again the second he was comfortable.

"We've got a lead," Artemis informed him after a moment of lying quietly, just listening to him breath. "Dick and I hacked the system easily and we think we know where the next shipment is going to enter the States."

"When?" Wally asked tiredly, already half asleep.

"Thursday night," she replied before she reached up and placed a chaste kiss against his jaw. "Now go to sleep, if you haven't already," she teased lightly.

"Mm," Wally mumbled. "Night Beautiful."

"Good night Wally," Artemis sighed contentedly as she snuggled closer within his arms.

The next couple of days was a flurry of activity for each member of the team. Dick had managed to get a layout of docks the shipment would be arriving at, as well as a time table of the guard rotations. He printed out copies for each of them and almost all their free time was spent either running scenarios, coming up with a plan or familiarizing themselves with every aspect of the docks. By Thursday night, the six teens were practically chomping at the bit to get going.

_Everyone in position?_, Robin asked over the mental link.

_Check_, Impulse answered.

_I'm set_, Artemis replied.

_I am approaching the boat now_, Aqualad said.

_I'm in position_, Miss Martian responded.

_Set_, Superboy monotoned over the link.

_Sweet_, Robin smirked. _These clowns won't know what hit them_.

_Just remember, our main objective is to take the shipment_, Aqualad reminded the team. _Taking down the suppliers is only secondary at this point_.

_Yeah, yeah_, Artemis said. _That doesn't mean we can't make 'em sweat a little though_, she added with a laugh.

_Besides_, Impulse said, malicious amusement coloring his voice. _If we take them out then we'll have less people to worry about functioning in this group. It's a win-win for our side_.

_Let's just stick to the plan_, Robin interjected. _The whole point is to get in and get out without causing a lot of noise. The least amount of damage we do, the less likely Bats and them will know what we've done_.

The team fell silent as the deep fog horn of the approaching ship boomed across the dark waters of the Atlantic. Each teenager waited, completely still, for the signal to move, though a tense readiness fizzled across the link connecting their minds.

_It is set_, Aqualad said not even five minutes later, setting the other five teens in motion.

That brief signal was all Impulse and Superboy needed to start making their way across the gently rolling waves and on board the ship. They were to sneak on board and meet up with Aqualad in the hull to search for, and begin removing, the drug before the ship completely docked.

As Impulse drew close he made sure to stick to the shadows cast over the water from the massive ship almost towering above them. Though Aqualad had deactivated the motion sensors with a rather clever bug, the brain child of Artemis and Robin, Impulse was still reluctant to take any chances with getting spotted. He and Superboy quickly and quietly made their way up the side of the ship, ducking and dodging the human guards as they made their way deeper into the ship. It took some work, and a lot of zipping back and forth for Impulse, but they finally managed to catch up to Aqualad and get a lock on the three large crates holding the drug.

_We have found them_, Aqualad informed the rest of the team over the link. _Miss Martian, are you in place?_

_Yes, the bioship is in position right outside the hull on the starboard side_, Miss Martian answered.

With a quick nod between the two of them, Superboy moved forward to tear a hole into the side of the ship while Aqualad forced the water back between them and the opening in the side of the bioship.

_You may want to hurry_, Aqualad warned his two teammates. _I am not sure I can maintain this for long_.

_Already on it_, Impulse replied as he dashed by, already having moved most of one crate into the bioship.

_It shouldn't take too long_, Superboy added as he simply picked up a second crate and calmly walked it across through the oblong water bubble connecting them to the bioship.

With Superboy and Impulse working together the three crates were cleared out and stored in the bioship in a matter of minutes and the three teens quickly followed them on board after Superboy closed up the hole he had created.

_We're out_, Impulse told Robin and Artemis over the link. _Remember, the two of you need to work quickly once the ship docks; you won't have a lot of time once they find the crates are missing_.

_We got this_, Robin replied cockily. _With the two of us tag teaming their system it'll be a piece of cake_.

The connection went silent again as Miss Martian maneuvered the bioship out of the water and into position for the rendezvous with Artemis and Robin. She kept the ship cloaked, but turned so all four occupants on the bridge would have a clear view of the docks.

This was the part of the plan Impulse hadn't been a fan of, no matter how necessary it was. The first part had been easy enough; sneak on the ship and steal the crates before the ship even docked, easily getting four of the six members out of harm's way before the bad guys were any wiser. Unfortunately the second part required waiting on his part; something he was never all that good at when he was worried about Artemis. She and Robin needed to sneak onto the ship themselves to hack the computer system and hopefully get not only the shipping ledgers, but maybe more information on who was running the whole operation. However, neither of them could get on board until the ship docked, leaving them with a very narrow window to locate the main terminal, hack the system and download any important files they found. Impulse had offered to run them both on board after he completed his phase of the mission, but Robin had reasoned that would leave one person alone on the ship, vulnerable until the other showed up, no matter how quickly Impulse could run back and forth. Reluctantly, Impulse had agreed and settled for waiting on the ship, his eyes trained on the docks before him, ready to move at the slightest hint that something had gone wrong. As it turned out, he didn't have to wait that long.

Robin had just crowed a triumphant, and somewhat cocky, _Got it!_ over the link before the lights blazed up all over the ship and a quick _Well, shit_, came from Artemis.

"Let me down there," Impulse demanded when the sounds of gunshots rang out.

"We cannot go rushing in," Aqualad replied. "We need to be able to get away quickly once they make it back."

"They've got at least thirty guys with guns on them," Impulse growled back. "I don't care who you are, those aren't good odds when you're trying to get away. Besides, I'm the logical choice to go in. If worse comes to worse, I can run out of there."

"All right, let him down," Aqualad agreed after a moment's deliberation.

Impulse didn't even wait for the gap in the bottom of the ship to fully form before he dropped down to the roof below where they had been hovering and rocketing off towards the ship. He was running mostly on autopilot, looking for a flash of familiar blonde hair. He skidded to a halt when he came across Robin instead, already making his way through the dock warehouses to the bioship. The younger boy had a bloody gash across his right shoulder and he was cradling his left wrist to his chest limply.

"Where's Artemis?" Impulse demanded.

"Covering my escape. She insisted," he added hastily when he heard his friend's low growl. "Out of the two of us, she was the least banged up and she figured you were on your way the second the guns went off."

"That sounds like her," Impulse grudgingly admitted. "All right, the ship is back that way; the roof of the second warehouse on your left after it splits off. Tell Miss M to get going, Artemis and I will meet you back at the Mount."

"You sure?" Robin asked. "We can wait for you. I don't think the ship's been discovered yet."

"Dude, even if you take off now, Artemis and I will most likely beat you back," Impulse answered with a smirk. "Just get moving, we'll be fine."

"All right man, just don't do anything stupid," Robin returned.

"But that just takes all the fun out of it," Impulse replied, the smirk on his face growing feral as his attention turned to the fight up ahead. "See ya," he added before zipping off.

"Those two scare me sometimes," Robin mumbled to himself. "It's almost like they're barely balancing on a very thin edge and there's no telling what or when something will send them tumbling off. Though seeing them, they might just enjoy the fall," he added with a repressed shudder at the memory of the gleeful, sadistic glint that lit Artemis' eyes the moment the fighting began and the dark, twisted smirk that stole over Impulse's lips before he ran off to join her.

It didn't take long for Impulse to find his partner after he joined the fray; it was really all a matter of fighting his way to the middle of the throng to get to her side. He was not at all pleased to see multiple cuts decorating her arms and sides, some still bleeding sluggishly, as well as some fairly angry looking bruises beginning to blossom against her skin. Without any conscious thought on his part, he threw himself into the mess, beating back as many people as he could.

"What took you so long?" Artemis huffed once she and Impulse were back to back.

"Sorry, stopped to have a chat with a little bird," Impulse replied. "The poor thing has a broken wing you know."

"I know, that's partly why I sent him off," Artemis answered.

"Only partly?" Impulse asked conversationally as he slammed his fist into the gut of a thug that had tried to rush him.

"Well, I did need someone to go back and get your ass back here," Artemis teased even as she landed a solid roundhouse kick that sent her opponent flying. "That, and he was the most banged up out of the two of us. His wrist snapped when one of these jokers decided to catch it between a metal wall and a heavy metal door."

"Well that sounds less than pleasant," Impulse returned, hissing slightly when a bullet managed to graze his leg. He shot a particularly nasty look at the man before sweeping his legs out beneath him and quickly kicking him off the side of the ship and into the water.

"It wasn't," Artemis agreed, blocking a swing of a metal pipe at her shoulders and stumbling back a bit under the force. "Though the bird did a beautiful job of returning the favor; broke both of the guys legs when he shoved the door right back and smashed it into him," she added as she ducked another swing and spun to elbow her attacker sharply in his gut.

"Well, maybe we are rubbing off on them after all," Impulse laughed, skipping back a few steps, out of reach of some rather cruel looking knives.

"Or at least on him," Artemis joked back.

"As much as I'd love otherwise, we can't stay and play with these guys for too long," Impulse reminded her regretfully, grabbing the wrist of a man trying to shove a knife into him and twisting the arm back until he heard the satisfying sound of the muscles tearing and the bones snapping.

"I know," Artemis sighed. "And I've been having so much fun too. So what's the plan to get out of here?" She really shouldn't have bothered asking, she realized, when Impulse spun around, scooped her up into his arms and took off all in one fluid move. Already used to abrupt take offs, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest on instinct more than on conscious thought.

Despite the speeds at which Impulse had been running, he and Artemis made it back to base just in time to see the bioship touch down in the hanger.

"What was that about beating us back?" Robin asked as he walked down the ramp. At some point in the flight a clean bandage had been wrapped around the cut on his shoulder and his wrist looked like it had been splinted. "I think we got here first."

"Barely, if you can even call it that," Impulse returned easily as he let Artemis down from his arms. "You know despite a couple of us being slightly more worse for the wear, I'd say we did pretty damn good tonight," he added as Superboy and Aqualad came walking off the ship, each carrying one of the crates; the last floating out in front of Miss Martian.

"And just what did you do?" a deep voice asked from the shadows of the hanger door.

All six teens abruptly turned their heads towards Batman as the Dark Knight walked in. "Imagine my surprise," he continued. "When I came to brief you six on a mission you have this weekend only to find you already gone. I thought it was understood that you get your missions from me and only me."

"We had to do something," Artemis replied. "Do you know what that drug does to the people it's used on?" she demanded, gesturing towards the three large crates. "It's killing them! It saps their energy, drains them dry, until there's nothing left to keep them going; nothing left to keep them alive!"

"And how would you know that?" Batman questioned, his tone demanding an answer.

"Because I was able to break it down and study a sample I'd managed to snag a while back," Impulse said, completely unrepentant. "It's a combination of Cobra venom, a compound similar to what gave Artemis and me our powers and the Blockbuster Formula. There might be something else in there, something that's making it react within each victim on a more individual level, but I haven't had the time to study that yet."

Batman was silent, eyeing each teenager in turn. "Go to the med bay, change, get cleaned up and get to bed," he grumbled out at last. "I expect all of you back here after classes let out tomorrow; don't think you're getting off easy on this one." Without another word he turned and disappeared back into the shadows.

"So, are we not in trouble then?" Artemis wondered out loud.

"No, we are," Robin replied. "It's just safe to say we got a reprieve while he informs the rest of our mentors."

"So really we're just in deeper shit then," Wally said.

"Pretty much, yeah," Robin confirmed.

None of the six teens were looking forward to the final bell at the end of the school day on Friday. In fact, for once in his super powered existence, Wally found himself wish time would actually slow down. As a matter of fact, he would have been more than okay if the excruciatingly boring lecture in his history class dragged on until he and the rest of his class were forced to fall asleep just to save themselves from death by boredom. Unfortunately, as tends to happen when you're dreading something, time flew right on by at speeds even Wally was having trouble coming to terms with. When the bell finally rang, and most of the school pilled out of stuffy classrooms chatting happily about their weekend plans, the Young Justice team instead met in the courtyard, each of their faces set in varying degrees of apprehension and dread.

"Well, let's get this over with," Conner grumbled as he started making his way to the zeta transport, the rest of the team following along behind him at a sedated pace. "The sooner we get chewed out for this, the sooner we can get to that mission Batman has for us."

"If he'll still give it to us," Dick added forlornly.

"Well, our team exists for a reason, right?" M'Gann asked, trying to keep upbeat. "We're there for more covert missions since we're not as recognizable."

"While that is true," Kaldur began. "I would not put it past our mentors to ban us from missions for the foreseeable future. We did disobey direct orders."

"We didn't have much of a choice, did we?" Artemis huffed. "We had to stop that shipment from coming in and besides, we got some good leads from the data we managed to swipe from the ship's mainframe."

"Let's just hope that's enough to appease them," Wally said. "If not, well, we can always do a little more digging on our own."

"You seriously want to run more ops without permission after we're already in deep from this one?" Dick asked incredulously.

"Not necessarily," Wally shrugged back. "I'm just thinking the down time we're most likely going to get from this will give me time to study that compound a little more and cobble together a suppressant."

Their conversation died off immediately the second they were beamed into the Mount.

"You are expected in conference room C," Red Tornado informed them as he came walking by. "I suggest it might be prudent to hurry."

The six teens exchanged wary glances before wandering down the corridor to their left, trying to make their journey drag longer than it would normally take. Before too long, they were assembled in front of the heavy wood door, watching Connor push it open.

"Now or never," the teenaged Kryptonian mumbled.

As expected, every last one of the mentors was present at the meeting, as well as a few key members of the Justice League; most notably Superman, whom Artemis and Wally were interested to see pretend as though Connor didn't exist while Conner likewise ignored the Man of Steel's presence.

"I assume you know why your here," Batman began after the teenagers each took a seat around the long, dark metal table.

"Because we disobey direct orders," Wally answered with a roll of his eyes. "But it had to be done! You guys obviously weren't doing anything. Did you even know what that compound did before I told you?"

"We had a suspicion," Batman answered after a moment.

"You had a suspicion, and yet you didn't do anything about it?" Artemis demanded. "You didn't even bother to tell us that every time we were fighting those kids there was a distinct possibility we were killing them? Or at least helping that drug speed up the process?"

"The effects had yet to be confirmed," Batman replied.

"But you still knew it was a possibility," Dick accused. "You can't keep treating us like kids Batman, not after the things we've seen and done, and most especially if you're keeping something like this a secret. We deserve to know what could happen!"

"So let me see if I get this correctly," Wally hissed venomously. "You were willing to risk the lives of thousands of teenagers just because you weren't _sure_? What kind of sick, twisted bastard are you?"

"Wally, take a deep breath for a minute," the Flash jumped in. "We couldn't just go around shutting places down and intercepting shipments if we have any hope of following the trail back to the people calling the shots. And we are working on a cure," he added helpfully.

"How do you know my name?" Wally demanded suddenly, his furious gaze locked onto his mentor. "I never told you. Hell, you've never seen me when I haven't been suited up. Who are you?"

"Now, Wally, that's not what's important right now," the Flash said, attempting to calm the boy down.

"Who. Are. You," Wally spat, his eyes never leaving his mentor.

The Flash looked up at Batman once, sighed once, shrugged helplessly and carefully slid the cowl off his face. "This is who I am, Wally," Barry Allen answered the furious teenager.

"You!" Wally yelled, jumping to his feet and pointing an accusing finger at the man across from him. "What the hell? How long have you known who I am?"

"For a while," Barry answered hesitantly.

"How long is a while?" Wally demanded, his eyes narrowed dangerously, venom dripping off his every word.

"Since Batman first found you two running around in Gotham Central," Barry finally answered. "Long before you joined the team."

"What about you?" Artemis suddenly demanded, turning to look at her teammates. "Have you known the whole time who we were? Before that stupid job on that island?" She only growled furiously when their silence and downcast eyes answered for them. "It makes sense," she spat. "Why Wally and I would suddenly be offered scholarships we never applied for, why we were stuck rooming with you. It was all a set up from the beginning to get us to join your little club. You couldn't take the fact that Wally and I said no so you set us up and guilt tripped us into joining you."

"No!" M'Gann cried desperately. "It wasn't like that!"

"Yeah, sure it wasn't," Artemis hissed as she got to her feet and made her way to the door, Wally right behind her.

"Where are you going?" Dick asked as the rest of the team leapt up after them.

"Away," Wally hissed back. "And that's all you fucking need to know!"

Wally and Artemis stormed angrily through the halls until they got back to the zeta transport tubes.

"Recognized, B06 Impulse B07 Artemis," the mechanical voice monotoned as the two of them stepped into the light.

"Computer," Wally barked suddenly. "Delete B06 Impulse and B07 Artemis from the system."

"What are you doing?" M'Gann demanded, her horrified eyes wide.

"Purging ourselves of you," Artemis snarled back. "If this is how the supposed 'good guys' operate then we want nothing to do with you."

"And now when we get back in," Wally added a malicious smile on his face. "You won't even know we're here."

Before anyone could say anything else, the bright white light whisked the pair away.

"What, what just happened?" M'Gann asked hesitantly. "What did Wally mean?"

"My best guess?" Dick said. "They've just declared war."

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS MADNESS, I SWEAR! Though, to be fair, I wouldn't be all that surprised if some of you (or maybe all of you) did get mad at me for this little twist... But there is a reason! And I really, really don't want you guys to hate me for this, you guys are awesome and always make me smile with your reviews. So, if I haven't totally pissed you off with this, please leave a review and tell me what you think (And remember there is a reason! I can't tell you cause that would just ruin it for you and I don't want to do that, but I promise there is a reason!). Part of me wonders if this is even necessary actually; you're either going to love it or hate it and nothing I say will change that. *Sighs* All right then, please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'm seriously anxiously awaiting your responses to this...


	16. Chapter 16

**AN**: You guys have no idea how relieved I am that you liked that twist I pulled. I've known I was going to be doing it from the beginning (though I did have several scenarios as to how) and I've been worried how you guys would take it. I'm so glad that you seemed to like it :) As always, a huge thank you to those of you that reviewed, favorited or alerted. Seriously, you guys never fail to make me smile :) Also, I'm sorry this update wasn't all that quick. I've been on vacation in Southern California (hitting up Sea World, Disneyland and Universal Studios ;D) and running around all day really wiped me out. I've got a lot of time on my flight back home though, so I figured I'd use it wisely and get you guys another chapter ;D

_Important Note_: Usually this story is in Third Person Limited from the Wally/Artemis point of view, however, for the first little bit of this chapter, the TPL POV will be from the Team instead. Don't worry; we'll get back to Wally and Artemis for most of this chapter still :)

**Disclaimer**: Nope, don't own anything other than the plot for this story.

* * *

><p>As much as Dick disliked using normal words to describe the world around him (seriously, that kid could get way into the word play sometimes) the only word he could come up with for their current situation was "awkward". Oh sure, he could have called it a "disaster", heavy on the "dis", or a not at all "traughting" experience, all we true. But at the end of the day, being completely ignored by two people he had considered close friends was awkward. It might have been different if he and the rest of the team were on the receiving end of heated, furious glares or malicious insults, but Wally and Artemis simply continued as though the other four teens no longer existed. It had been a week since the fallout and neither one of them had returned to the dorms. They both still came to school, attended all their classes, but that was the only place the rest of the team saw them anymore. Dick had a feeling they weren't coming back any time soon, if the cleaned out dorm rooms Wally and Artemis had once had were any indication, and he knew that once Summer break rolled around in a week, the four of them most likely wouldn't be seeing either of their friends at all.<p>

"We have to do something," M'Gann said forlornly, glancing across the lunchroom to the blonde and red heads of her once friends. "We need to talk to them, try and explain."

"I doubt they will want to listen," Kaldur replied with a sad shake of his head. "We have hurt them deeply and they will not forgive us so easily."

"I don't see why they won't at least give us a chance," Conner growled.

"Think about it man," Dick returned. "Neither of them let people in very easily; we had to work at it to get them to trust us even a little bit and then in their eyes, we betrayed that trust."

"No," Kaldur interrupted. "We did not simply betray that trust. To them, we lied and manipulated them from the very beginning. I believe, for them, that is even worse."

M'Gann finally got up the nerve to talk to Artemis two days before Summer vacation began. The two were enjoying a free period between exams and the disguised Martian decided it was now or never.

"Artemis?" she asked tentatively as she stepped over to the table Artemis had plopped herself at in the back of the library. Her shoulders slumped when the blonde continued to thumb through the book in her hands, seemingly oblivious to the other girl's presence. _Artemis, please_, she tried again, sending her thoughts through the mental connection. That got the archer's attention. She sat bolt upright and looked furtively around before leveling a harsh glare at the girl in front of her.

"If you ever do that again," she hissed lowly, eyes bright with dark promises and accusations. "I promise you, you'll live to regret ever even trying to get to know me. I will strap you down and force you to live every single one of your worst fears in excruciating detail, over and over again until you're nothing but a sobbing, pathetic mess. Shut down the connection you have to Wally and me; we want nothing to do with any of you anymore." Without another word she snagged her bag, shoved her book inside and stormed away, not even sparing a look back at the crumpled face of the girl behind her.

Any attempts to get through to Wally were met with about the same amount of success. Both Kaldur and Conner had tried to talk to the speedster after their shared English class, only to be brushed off entirely after being on the receiving end of a rather nasty glare. Neither of them felt inclined to push the volatile boy any further than necessary and so hadn't tried to talk to him since their first attempt. Dick, however, was much more persistent. He refused to take the continued harsh silence as a sign to back off and kept trying to get Wally to talk.

"Come on man!" the younger teen complained loudly in the crowded hallways. "You've got to talk to me sometime!"

The redhead in question ignored the darker headed boy and kept pushing his way through the thickening mass of student bodies. It seemed like every single one of them was determined to stop and watch the drama unfold, blocking his escape. For a moment he seriously considered using his powers to just vibrate through them and damn the consequences. Suddenly he felt something smack into the back of his head and he turned around, snarl on his lips and a growl building in his throat.

"Finally!" Dick huffed as he stowed a second wad of paper in his pocket. "Look, we need to talk."

"Like hell!" Wally snarled, fed up with dodging the boy and deciding that fighting it out in the middle of the hallway just might be enough to get him to back off. "You lied to us, tricked us, and had the gall to pretend like you were actually our friends. I'm going to tell you once, and only once, piss off before you make me do something I promise you will regret."

"Please, is that the best threat you can come up with?" Dick asked with a roll of his eyes. "I've heard way worse than that. Besides, I'm not giving up until you listen to me and get you violent blonde girlfriend to listen to. She threatened Megs you know."

"And you think I really care?" Wally asked. "As far as I'm concerned Artemis had full rights to react the way she did."

"Do you know what she threatened to do?" Dick asked incredulously.

"It wasn't a threat, it was a promise," Wally replied darkly. "And I am more than happy to help her do it. Maybe we can link you all up and send you off into your worst nightmares together," he added, a touch of smug achievement at seeing the normally stoic teen pale considerably. "I think we owe you at least that much and I have to admit, a rather large part of me really likes the idea."

"Wally, man, come on, this isn't you," Dick tried again after taking a moment to compose himself, pushing back memories of a failed mental exercise as harshly as possible. "This isn't either of you."

"And how the hell do you know who we are?" Wally demanded. "What do you know about either of us? Oh, right, I forgot! You've been spying on us and figuring out our entire life's story behind our backs and then lying to our faces about it!"

"Look, I swear we didn't mean to hurt you," Dick tried to placate.

"Bullshit!" Wally hissed before deciding enough was enough and taking a swing at the younger teen. He wasn't all that surprised when he managed to dodge, but it annoyed him that he hadn't managed to even clip him. "Consider that a warning," he said dangerously. "Come anywhere near me again and I won't hesitate, understand?" He turned and almost violently shoved his way through the congregated mass of teenagers around him and marched down the hallway, out the front doors.

After a few minutes Conner, Kaldur and M'Gann managed to fight their way through the crowd to the youngest member of their team.

"I fear we have irreparably damaged our friendship with them," Kaldur said softly after a moment.

"Neither of them will listen to us," M'Gann added, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.

"So we make them listen," Conner replied as though it was obvious.

"It won't work like that," Dick said with a sad shake of his head. "We've hurt them and only pissed them off further by pushing this."

"Then we can only hope their retaliation is swift and painless," Kaldur interjected solemnly. "If they retaliate at all."

"Dude, have you watched them fight?" Dick asked. "Sometimes I think they only come alive when they're causing pain. When they hit back, and we all know they will, it'll be drawn out and as painful as they can make it."

The school year couldn't end fast enough for Artemis and Wally. By the time the final bell rung after their final exam they were both thoroughly fed up and ready to just get away. After Wally's confrontation with Dick, none of the other teenagers tried approaching them again, though they could feel them watching everywhere they went. Finally they were freed from having to attend classes and had the time to just disappear for a few months. Almost the minute they had left the Mount for the last time they had a plan on where to go and what to do from there and, with school being out for the summer, they finally had the time to put it into action. A few well-placed lies and cover ups had their mothers believing that they would be on a school sponsored trip the entire summer, therefore leaving them almost three months to go where they needed to go and do what they needed to do to put their plans into action.

"Are you sure this is the way you want to do this?" Wally asked quietly into the darkness of the rooftop he and Artemis were hiding on. Though neither of them had bothered to suit up for this, Artemis made sure to bring her compact crossbow and plenty of bolts while Wally made sure his sneakers had been modified to withstand his extreme speeds. They had come out tonight looking for a very specific kind of fight and neither of them could be suited up for it. "I'm sure there are other ways."

"Probably," Artemis agreed, eyes flicking back and forth into the darkened alley below, straining to catch even the slightest movement. "But we both know this is fastest. Besides, I think I'm going to enjoy the tables being turned for once," she added with a wicked grin.

"It will be a rather nice feeling," Wally agreed with a dark, eager chuckle.

"There!" Artemis suddenly hissed, eyes focused down the street.

"Go get into position," Wally said, even as he got up into a low crouch and began moving around her. He stopped for a brief moment and tugged her close, pressing a kiss to her hairline. "And don't do anything too reckless, Beautiful."

"The same goes for you," Artemis murmured back before gently breaking out of Wally's hold. "Just be ready and this should go off without a hitch," she added with her usual wild smile before a fight.

"Famous last words," Wally said, though the eager, feral light in his own eyes betrayed his otherwise serious warning.

Without another word between the two of them, Artemis carefully and quietly slipped over the side of the building and made her way down the fire escape to the alley below. She didn't have to look to know Wally was busy circling to a better vantage point to watch and corner their prey when the time was right.

"It would be smart to step back here," Artemis said conversationally as their prey began to pass by the alleyway. "Unless you like the feeling of a crossbow bolt tearing through your flesh. In which case, keep moving by all means."

Their prey, a tall, broad shouldered blonde man with bright blue eyes chuckled, clearly amused, before stepping into the darkened alley. "I was wondering when this little confrontation was going to happen," he said, his voice deep. "Ever since our little run-in in South America. I see you're all alone though. Has your little red headed sidekick left you?"

"He's not my sidekick," Artemis growled, her crossbow held in a calm, steady hand, pointed right at the man's heart.

"And I'm never far from her side either," Wally added in a dangerously low as he landed behind the man, his fist connecting with the back of his skull before the man could turn.

"Ah, an ambush," Sportsmaster said, his voice still light and annoyingly conversational even as Wally shoved him to the ground and kept his head pinned to the grimy, rough ground below. "I suppose I should have expected that. You two have never been far from the other. So, what's it to be? Drag me to your Justice League superiors? I think you'll find that just a little difficult I'm afraid. You see, you're not the only ones who never travel alone."

Artemis tensed, almost imperceptibly, when she felt the sharp point of a knife press against the back of her neck.

"I'd lower your weapon, baby sister," a smooth female voice sounded right in the blonde's ear. "And call off your attack dog while you're at it."

"Jade," Artemis acknowledged even as she brought her arm down and lowered her crossbow. "I thought you left to get away from this bastard and yet here you are, playing house cat for him."

"I suppose I'm just fickle that way," the other female purred. "Now how about you call off _your_ pet?"

"He's not my pet," Artemis hissed.

"Don't bother trying to explain anything to her Artemis," Wally snarled, his eyes locked on the dark orbs of the girl standing behind his partner. "We both know she's a fucking lunatic and wouldn't get anything you try to say."

"Oh, such harsh words," Jade laughed. "I guess the little boy finally grew up and grew a set. However, I'd really rethink your strategy if you want to keep dear little Artemis here alive."

Wally's eyes narrowed dangerously before he levered himself off of Sportsmaster with a harsh, animalistic snarl, making sure to shove the older man's face into the rough concrete rather violently as he got up. "Happy?" he hissed at the darker haired woman.

"Absolutely ecstatic," Jade purred back even as she removed her sai from the back of Artemis' neck and stepped away.

"I really thought I trained you better than this, Artemis," Sportsmaster said with an aggrieved sigh as he stood from his position on the ground. "I thought I trained both of you better, really. Oh don't look so surprised," he added with a dismissive wave. "I've known all along you were teaching your little friend everything I taught you. I never said anything because it would give me two new tools for the price of one. Now, back to business. You're going to have to try a lot harder than that if you want to drag me back to your precious League. I admit, the ambush was a smart move and you did well to track me down, but it seems you didn't bother to fully check your surroundings to make sure you wouldn't have the upper hand taken from you."

"We didn't find you to drag you back to the League," Artemis replied defiantly.

"Really now?" Sportsmaster asked as though he already knew the answer. "Then why are you here?"

"You already know," Wally bit back.

"Perhaps," Sportsmaster conceded, his amused good humor still coloring his voice. "But I want to hear you say it," he added, looking right at Artemis.

"We're here to switch sides," Artemis growled.

"I see," Sportsmaster replied thoughtfully. "And what makes you think we'd want you?"

"You said yourself you were training the two of us as tools," Wally snarled. "You finally get to cash in on your investment."

"We'll see," Sportsmaster responded vaguely. "Now, I assume you're not doing this because you've finally realized this is where the two of you belong, where you were meant to be. What are your terms?"

"You don't split us up," Artemis replied automatically. "We work better and we're more valuable as a team."

"Is that is?" Sportsmaster asked. "Done. It would be a lesson in futility and foolishness to split you up as a team. Besides, the Shadows always operate in pairs."

"We get the Young Justice team as well," Wally added. "Whatever you do with the Justice League is your business, but we get to take out the sidekicks."

"Four on two?" Sportsmaster asked. "Isn't that rather unfair to them, given what the two of you can do? I think it will be a massacre for them."

"That's exactly what we're counting on," Artemis responded, her eyes lit up with a dark glee for a moment; the look mirrored perfectly in Wally's own eyes.

"Your…unique talents may be required against the League as well, but I believe you can be spared long enough to settle your debts with the young sidekicks," Sportsmaster said. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, we're free to operate how we want," Artemis replied.

"We'll take missions and we'll do as we're told, but we get to complete them our own way," Wally added.

"That may be a bit more of a problem," Sportsmaster said. "You see, there are rules you're expected to follow, ne exceptions."

"Whatever," Artemis hissed. "Are you taking us or not?"

"Well now, that all depends on whether or not you pass the tests," Jade laughed, a cheshire grin tugging at her lips. "You don't just get in because you want to baby sister."

"Fine, so what are these tests?" Wally demanded.

"Not so fast," Sportsmaster replied. "First, I want to know why you're here, looking to join the League of Shadows when you were happily playing lap dogs to the Justice League a few months ago."

"We have our reasons," Artemis growled dangerously. "And that's all you need to know."

"If you're worried about divided loyalties, you can be sure that we want nothing to do with those sick, manipulative bastards any longer," Wally added darkly.

"Very well," Sportsmaster replied. "The tests you face will determine whether or not you'll be of use to the Shadows anyway. Come," he added as he turned and headed back out of the alley.

Wally and Artemis watched for a moment as Sportsmaster and Jade stepped back out onto the brightly lit, busy streets and rejoined the throng of people hurrying around on the sidewalk.

"Well, no turning back now," Wally said aloud.

"Do you want to?" Artemis asked.

"Of course not," the red headed speedster snorted. "Those pricks won't know what hit them."

"Nothing will stop us," Artemis added, her grey eyes turning stormy as a wild smile graced her lips.

"Not with the two of us working together," Wally agreed, a feral glint turning his eyes a poisonous green and an answering smirk on his face.

"Forever and always," Artemis promised as she linked her arm with Wally's and started towards the sidewalk.

"Forever and always," Wally returned, allowing the volatile blonde to drag him from the alley. "Now let's see about beating these tests."

The pair followed Sportsmaster and Jade through the streets at a leisurely pace, a careful distance behind them. They quickly left the city center and made their way through the winding streets of the suburbs before coming to a stop outside the high stone walls of a compound. Trees grew along the inside of the walls, keeping any prying eyes from seeing within and even the pathway leading from the thick, wrought iron gate was carefully wound through the trees to limit how much the average passerby could see.

"Looks innocent enough," Wally commented offhand as he and Artemis came to a halt a few feet from Sportsmaster and Jade. "I confess I was expecting something a bit more sinister. Definitely not the cream colored sandstone walls and the tasteful, simple gate."

"We find the less you show of, the easier it is to hide in plain sight," Jade commented. "For someone supposedly so smart, you'd think you'd be able to figure that out."

"Back of psycho," Wally hissed dangerously, his eyes narrowing at the older woman. "I'm not the same kid I was when you left. Kicking your sorry ass would be a pleasure and I wouldn't even have to try all that hard either."

"Oohh, scary," Jade replied with a roll of her eyes.

Wally growled lowly in the back of his throat, but didn't move when he felt Artemis squeeze his arm.

"Let it go," the blonde girl told him, her eyes never leaving her older sister. "She's not worth it. She never was." She turned when the gates opened and took a step forward, Wally falling quickly into step with her.

It took almost fifteen minutes to reach the large mansion-esque building and even longer to walk through the deserted, darkened hallways. Thick, red carpeting lined the floors and shadowy painting hung from the walls, spaced perfectly apart, though neither Wally of Artemis could make out the details. They finally stopped outside of two large, ornate wooden doors. They opened slowly, almost menacingly, each creak echoing loudly in the otherwise silent building. The room beyond was just as dark as the empty hallways and Artemis and Wally were quickly shoved inside before the doors closed behind them with a loud bang.

"What's going on?" Wally demanded, warily turning about the room trying to see through the inky gloom.

"Your test," Sportsmaster's voice answered over an unseen intercom. Suddenly a set of lights flickered on, blinding the pair in the room momentarily. When they could finally see they found themselves in an empty ballroom with two people sitting tied to chairs, dark sacks over their heads, situated perfectly in the center.

"You've been expecting us to come here, haven't you?" Artemis hissed. "That's why all of this is here."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Sportsmaster returned dismissively. "However, that is not the point at the moment. You two want to join the Shadows? Then prove it; prove you will be useful to us."

"How?" Artemis pressed just as another set of lights flickered on, revealing a cold metal table with two guns sitting on top.

"I realize they aren't your usual weapons of choice," Sportsmaster began. "But I'm sure you're familiar with them none-the-less. Now, each of you pick up a gun, pick a target and shoot to kill. It's entirely up to you whether or not you want to drag it out or end them quickly."

"Who are they?" Wally asked. "What did they do?"

"Does it really matter?" Sportsmaster returned. "You say you want to be members of the Shadows then you need to learn to follow orders up to and including assassinations we deem necessary."

Wally and Artemis exchanged a quick look, nodding to each other once, before walking calmly over to the table and each taking a gun.

"I suppose it really doesn't matter," Wally said as he raised his gun and aimed at the person on the left.

"I was expecting something harder though," Artemis added, already sighting down the barrel at the person on the right.

"Welcome to the Shadows," Sportsmaster smirked to himself as two shots rang out through the otherwise quiet room and the two targets in the chairs slumped forward. "Two shiny new tools for our use."

* * *

><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Well, there's chapter sixteen; looks like Wally and Artemis have switched sides… I actually had different ideas for their test, but this one wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it out and, as horrible as this sounds, it actually works better than anything else I had planned before… So, a few of you have mentioned the confrontation between the Flash and Wally was anticlimactic. I agree and I wholeheartedly apologize for that. I actually had more of a fight planned out, but I couldn't find a way to work it in without ruining a scene I have set up later. Thank you for letting me know though, it really helps me know where to go and what to work on/fix

_Important-ish note 2_: All right, so, a few of you have mentioned keeping the artificially super powered teens, or at least a few of them. I think one of you lovely people mentioned something about the "cure" backfiring in a few of them and allowing them to retain their powers safely. I honestly haven't put much thought into it, but it's obvious that you guys have so, I opening this up to you guys If you have an idea for one of these teens, PM me the details and you'll get a cameo in the story The more detailed the better (i.e. personality, powers/abilities, physical description, etc.). I feel like I owe you guys something for being so patient with me and after the comments I got on the teens, I got thinking this might be a good way to say "thank you".

Don't forget to review and thank you! :D


	17. Chapter 17

**AN**: I'm really sorry guys, I didn't mean to leave you hanging this long. Life kinda hit in one big burst and things got a little crazy. I was on vacation in Cali and then it was my brother's birthday and then it was my birthday and then I finally (FINALLY!) got query letters out to agents to see about getting my original work published (fingers crossed on my end :D). Then I got replies from schools on grad school and had a bit of a freak out on my end because of it... Anyway, long story short, I apologize for leaving you with that cliffhanger from last chapter for so long. As always, a huge thank you for everyone that took the time to review. I love hearing what you guys think and I hope I can live up to all your expectations and not disappoint you guys as the story progresses. Thank you for all of the new alerts and favorites as well, I'm glad to know that new readers are liking this as well. In short, you guys all rock ;D Oh, and thank you for the OCs that you guys have submitted. I can't promise that they'll all have a very big part, but I can say that they've definitely all given me ideas on where to place them and how to work them in. If anyone wants to still submit one, I think I can take three more for the story. So, the first three to PM their OCs will get in, everyone after that I will try, but I can't make any definite promises :) Happy reading guys and enjoy the next chapter! :D

**Disclaimer**: Nope, don't own. If I did I'd explore why Wally and Artemis are suddenly getting along a lot better. Seriously, am I the only one that thinks that kinda came out of nowhere? Especially when he went after Roy for being a jerk to her? And then the kiss at New Year's? Yeah, I was happy it happened, but seriously, that pretty much came out of nowhere. Oh, and I definitely wouldn't have jumped ahead five years with absolutely no context or explanation and remove three of the original characters without so much as a comment as to where they went and what happened to them. Not sure if I really even like the new Young Justice honestly...

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><p>A slow clapping reverberated through the room, quickly followed by deep, amused laughter. "Wonderful, no hesitation at all. So, how does it feel to make your first kill?" Sportsmaster asked as he made his way over to Wally and Artemis.<p>

"You can drop the act," Artemis spat back. "We didn't kill anyone."

"Didn't you?" Cheshire asked. "I could have sworn I saw you pull that trigger baby sister."

"If you're going to play games with us, then we're gone," Wally snarled viciously. "We don't need you nearly as much as you need us."

"Tell me, how did you know?" another male voice asked. Wally and Artemis turned to see the figure on the left stand and pull the bag from his head, revealing Ra's al Ghul. The figure on the right rose as well and pulled off her own bag to reveal his daughter Talia.

"If you were trying to make us think you were innocents you did a pretty piss poor job of it," Artemis replied. "Let's start with the fact that neither of you had your legs bound to the chair. If you were being held against your will, no one with even half a brain around here would leave your legs unbound."

"Let's also add the fact that neither of you were begging for your lives, not even after we were told to kill you," Wally added, his tone slipping into flat and bored.

"Perhaps we were unconscious," Talia interjected. "There would be no need to bind our legs if we were not conscious nor would we be able to protest our situation."

"I thought of that," Artemis admitted. "But that was easy enough to see through if you know what you're looking for. Neither of you were breathing deep enough to indicate you were asleep or unconscious."

"And how would you be able to tell that?" Ra's al Ghul pressed, his tone curious. "The hoods covered our faces and we kept our heads down to obscure our chests."

"Obviously no one told you what I could do," Artemis replied with a triumphant smirk. "I was there when Wally's accident gave him his powers and got some of my own."

"I confess, no one told me anything," Ra's al Ghul returned. "I was under the impression you were simply an archer."

"An archer with damn good aim," Wally interjected. "There's a reason she never misses."

"My eyes function like a telescopic zoom when I want them to," Artemis answered dismissively. "You may have been wearing a hood, but you would still cause it to move when you breathe. All it took was a simple zoom in for me to read the signs. The rate at which both of you were moving the hood with your breathing wasn't consistent with the rate it would be at if you were asleep or unconscious."

"And the final clue to this little puzzle was the weight of the guns," Wally said. "We may never use them, but that doesn't mean we're completely ignorant. We know the weight of a gun loaded with real bullets compared to a gun loaded with blanks."

"Fascinating," Ra's al Ghul replied thoughtfully, looking between the pair in front of him. "And you communicated all this between the two of you with nothing more than a glance and a nod; that is quite the teamwork and trust you have in each other. It appears you may be quite useful to us indeed. Assuming you pass this next test of course."

"I thought this was the only test," Artemis said suspiciously.

"As a pair, yes, this was the only test necessary," Talia responded. "However, we need to know how capable you are on your own as well. Teamwork such as yours is extraordinary and quite useful, but it can also be quite crippling if you cannot function separately."

"So what do you want from us?" Wally asked.

"It's quite simple really," Ra's al Ghul answered. "The two of you will be blindfolded and taken to separate locations. Your jobs will be to survive and make it to the safe point where you will be picked up and returned here."

"How long will this test take?" Artemis asked.

"Well, that all depends on you, doesn't it?" Ra's al Ghul returned.

"And this will be the last test?" Wally demanded. "We're not in the mood to be jerked around by another set of assholes."

"If you survive it, I assure you it will be the last test you need to accomplish," Ra's al Ghul returned. "You will be considered mission ready after its completion." He paused and looked Artemis and Wally in the eyes, an amused smile tugging at his lips when neither of them flinched or looked away. "I have to say though, neither of you seem to concern yourselves with how to act around your seniors."

"We have problems with authority," Artemis dismissed. "It comes with the territory."

"I see," Ra's al Ghul replied. "Well, are you two ready for your final test?"

Wally and Artemis shared a quick glance. Their faces remained neutral, but their eyes danced with the wild light of thrill and anticipation. Beneath their eager thrill of a fight was an undercurrent of worry for the other and a silent promise to return to each other safe and sound.

"Bring it on," Wally replied, a smirk tilting the corners of his lips for a moment.

* * *

><p>When Artemis finally heard the little voice in the comm link they'd shoved in her ear tell her to remove the cloth over her eyes, she didn't know whether to be pissed or amused at her situation. Everywhere she looked she saw nothing but rolling hills of sand, cacti and twiggy, dead looking plants that barely had the right to call themselves bushes. She opened a duffle bag at her feet and found her bow, twelve arrows, a compass and five bottles of water. The voice filtered in through the earpiece once more, telling her that her destination was eighty miles away and warning her that the earbud would be self-destructing in fifteen seconds. Hurriedly, she ripped the little electronic device from her ear and tossed it as far as she could. She glared at the little sand cloud the explosion created and finally decided to be pissed with her situation.<p>

"A desert, lovely," she growled as she hiked the bag up onto her shoulder. "They couldn't even give me a vague direction to travel." She looked around once more, pushing her sight a bit and sighing when the large sand hills prevented her from seeing too far. "Guess I'm climbing one of those then," she grumbled as she set off for the tallest hill, the sun beating heavily on her back and shoulders.

It took the better part of the afternoon to get up the hill and in retrospect, Artemis reflected that she probably should have waited until the hot afternoon had passed to begin her climb. She grumbled under her breath, glaring poisonously at the torturous bright yellow sun hanging above her head, as she finally crested the large dune. She paused long enough to take a long pull from one of the water bottles before setting about her task of finding her checkpoint. Even with her eyesight zoomed as far as she could make it, she saw nothing in front of her, behind her, or to her left. Finally, with an irritated, and slightly weary (though she would never admit it) sigh she turned to her right and frowned. Off in the near distance she saw the blurry image of an oasis. She pushed her sight a little further, determined to find out if is was some sort of mirage, and almost let out a sigh of relief when the sight came into sharper focus the closer she zoomed in. She hesitated for a brief moment, calculating the distance to be about twelve miles, and wondered if she should even bother. A quick look back into the duffle bag, noting only two and barely a half water bottles remained full, and decided she'd have to risk it. _Besides_, she reasoned with herself. _It's not like those assholes bother to give me any food. I'll probably be able to hunt something down in that oasis, even if it does put me in the wrong direction_. Without giving herself time to change her mind, she set off back down the dune and for the distant, slightly shimmery image of the oasis.

By the time she finally made it to the small island of vegetation in the sea of sand Artemis was ready to declare war on the sun itself. She wasn't weak, not by any means, but spending all day in the burning sun with no shade and no way to cool down would try even the most patient of people. She finally let herself collapse underneath a particularly leafy palm tree, leaning back against the rough, uneven bark and letting the meager shade cool her down slightly. She had been resting for maybe two minutes when she heard it; the sound of an engine and rubber tires rumbling across the desert sand. She cracked her eyes open and scowled at the jeep coming ever closer to her spot. Couldn't she just have a minute of peace? Was that really too much to ask? She entertained the thought that maybe they weren't really coming for her; they were just random people out in the middle of nowhere desert making their way to the oasis; the only oasis she happened to see while running some stupid test for the League of Shadows. Grumbling irritatedly to herself, she hauled herself to her feet and snagged her bow from the duffle bag, knocking an arrow expertly as she sighted her shot. The jeep was still a ways out, much too far for her shot to reach, but she could still zoom in and get a better look at her opponents. Three men, all wearing desert camo masks and army fatigues were piled into a small, sand brown jeep and at least two of them were carrying heavy black guns.

"Of course," she snarled before gauging the distance once again and, compensating for the slight breeze that had picked up, letting the arrow fly. She smirked to herself when it flew true and hit home just in front of and to the side of the jeep, exploding on impact and causing the vehicle to swerve dangerously, almost toppling over in the sand. Without waiting to see if the men were already up and coming after her, she darted further into the oasis, hiding in a small copse of leafy bushes growing close to the water. She frowned when she realized it was the only reasonable hiding space and therefore the first place the men would look, though she hoped staying hidden would at least make them pause for a few precious, crucial moments.

Unfortunately, her luck didn't hold and the men immediately darted for her sparse cover, automatic fire from their guns already spraying in her direction. Growling to herself, Artemis leapt from her cover and dived to her left, narrowly avoiding the bullets that ripped the bushes to shreds. She rolled up onto her knees, pulling an arrow from her quiver and notching it in one fluid motion. She took a brief moment to aim before letting the arrow fly. It slammed home into the chest of the nearest soldier and the tip immediately burst on impact, releasing a noxious gas meant to knock out anyone unlucky enough to breath it in. She heard all three men begin to cough and smirked to herself in silent victory before she noticed something small come flying out of the cloud of gas and straight into the small oasis pool. Artemis watched its path, zooming in to get a better look at it, but she couldn't make out anything specific other than it seemed to be a small white pill. Her attention quickly focused back towards the cloud when she heard three thuds. Cautiously she rose from her crouch and made her way over to the men lying prone in the burnt golden sand. A quick visual scan led her to believe they were all out for the count, though to be sure she carefully edged her way up to each one and nudged them with the toe of her boot. All three groaned when moved, but otherwise didn't stir.

With one threat averted, Artemis made her way back over to the oasis pool and knelt to fill her water bottles when she noticed a green film beginning to coat the water's surface. "Damn it!" she hissed, rising and kicking sand into the water. She turned around and carefully scanned the landscape, trying to find another oasis within walking distance. Her gaze finally landed on the jeep the soldiers had been driving and she frowned in thought for a moment. "Might as well give it a shot," she mumbled to herself, hiking her bag up her shoulder a little more and slinging her bow across her back.

It took a few minutes of walking, but Artemis finally made it over to the jeep and found a whole trunk filled with water strapped to the back as well as some sort of case locked down tightly. She eyed the case, debating about the benefits of spending time trying to crack it open when the radio crackled to life.

"Well done," a voice told her, barely filtering in over the static bursting through the speakers. "The shadows are pleased to see you've made it this far. Disable the tracking device on the jeep and the case and then make your way east in the vehicle. You will reach the checkpoint just after sunset if you hurry." The radio fizzled back out of life just as suddenly as it had turned on and Artemis glared at it for a minute.

"Assholes," she grumbled under her breath, though she quickly stowed her duffle bag and bow and arrows within easy reach of the driver's seat before quickly setting about locating the tracking devices. She hesitated for a minute when she went to disable them when a better idea came to mind. She made short work of removing the tracking devices and keeping them in one piece. She spent a few minutes looking around before she spotted a lizard wiggling through the sand nearby and quickly scooped it up and attached the tracers to its back. After she let the squirming lizard out of her grasp she climbed into the driver's seat of the jeep, shoved the case into her duffle bag, adjusted the mirrors and took off across the scorching sand. "Wally would get me there a lot faster than this stupid jeep," she sighed. "This landscape would be perfect for him."

* * *

><p>When Wally came to his first thought was directed solely to wishing a living hell on whoever had knocked him out in the first place. His head still throbbed slightly with every beat of his heart and the side of his neck itched uncomfortably where he had been jabbed with the needle. The worst, though, was how completely lost he was. By knocking him unconscious they had rendered the internal GPS-like instinct he had acquired with his super speed <em>(1)<em> completely useless for finding his way back. He could orient himself to the points of the compass, but he couldn't tell you which way he'd come from and the fastest route back there. He grumbled complaints under his breath and sat up, ripping the blindfold off as he did so. He hadn't felt well and truly lost in a long time and, if he were to be completely honest, it unnerved him more than he would have expected. A sudden, low buzzing in his ear had him sitting at attention and listening carefully.

"Your checkpoint is 150 miles due north," the electronic voice chirped in his ear before the line immediately went dead with a loud burst of static in his ear.

Wally scrambled to get the offending earbud out of his ear and scowled at the little device when the feedback grew particularly loud and irritating. With an annoyed snarl he chucked the machine against the nearest tree and smiled in satisfaction when the feedback was cut short as the bud shattered into even smaller pieces. Turning to face north, Wally saw a small black backpack sitting against a tree near where he had been laying. Curious, he walked over and snatched the pack, finding it held a few protien bars and energy drinks as well as an empty water bottle and a few water purification pills. He didn't see any weapons, but was glad to see they at least thought to toss in a pair of high impact goggles. He pulled the goggles out and fit them over his head before he slung the pack over his shoulder and started walking.

"Could they have picked a worst place to dump me?" he grumbled as he began his trek north. "Seriously, trees are better for Arty to move around in."

For the first hour or so, Wally tried to maintain a brisk speed, but found himself constantly having to slow down to avoid running into the tightly packed trees. He considered figuratively flipping this stupid test the bird and vibrating through everything in his way but quickly dismissed the idea as the fastest way to tire himself out.

"Halt!" a voice suddenly called from his left. "You are in restricted military space!"

"Of course I am," Wally groused to himself with a roll of his eyes. "Because this whole extremely irritating hike through the woods wouldn't be complete without someone trying to gun me down for illegal trespassing." He let his pack slip from his shoulder, hitting the forest floor with a soft "whump", as he turned to face the voice, hands raised.

"Look," he began calmly. "There's no reason this has to get ugly. How about I go my way, you go yours, and we pretend never to have seen each other."

"Quite prisoner!" the man barked as he stepped out from behind a tree, his gun leveled at Wally's chest. "You've trespassed onto a secure military facility, as of this moment you are under arrest."

"Do I get any leniency for being a minor?" Wally pressed. "And you might want to put that gun down; I seriously doubt your superiors will be all that impressed that you gunned down a defenseless sixteen year old boy in the middle of the woods."

"Stop talking!" the man barked at him. "Now turn around and put your hands behind your back."

"It would have been a lot easier for you if you'd just let me go," Wally sighed before a wicked smirk tugged at his lips. "But I suppose the fun way works just fine for me."

Without another word Wally zipped forward, deftly dodging a bullet the soldier fired in reflex before his fist slammed home in the man's stomach, sending him doubled over to the forest floor.

"Intruder...in sector...B," the soldier managed to gasp into his radio before collapsing, unconscious, to the ground.

"Wonderful," Wally groaned as he turned and snatched his pack up from the ground. The radio crackling static had him spinning back around to face the man, wondering if he'd somehow woken up already.

"While toying with your prey can be amusing, it wastes time to engage in what some would think is witty banter," a darker, deeper voice told Wally over the radio. "Still, when you acted you took him down very effectively. Find their mobile base, retrieve the silver case and then make your way to your checkpoint. Do not fail." With the instructions delivered, the radio clicked back off and stayed silent.

"I have a better idea," Wally hissed to himself, eyeing up the nearest trees to find one suitable for climbing. "Why don't you people get off you lazy asses and do this yourself. It would have been nice to know the objective a little earlier!" he added a little louder, sending a general glare up into the sky. "Like, I don't know, before you sent me to an active military sight!" Grumbling under his breath, he let the pack fall back to the ground and made a running leap at the lowest branch of the tallest tree he could see from his point.

He made short work of climbing as high as he dared as was pleased to find himself higher than most of the trees around him. "I wish I had Artemis' eyesight," Wally mumbled to himself as he scanned the area. A sudden burst of panicked birds drew his attention to the south and he rolled his eyes. "So I'll be backtracking," he grumbled as he quickly climbed back down the tree and took of in the general direction of the dust cloud. "Assuming this is them of course."

It didn't take him long to reach his destination, especially as the trees began to thin out a little more the further south he went. Grinning briefly, he let loose on his speed only to come screeching to a halt a few moments later and duck quickly behind a thick tree trunk. Just around on the other side of the rough bark two rows of soldiers marched on either side of a large, white vehicle.

"Well, there's the mobile base," Wally mumbled to himself as he carefully peaked around the tree. "The big question is, how do I get in, especially with these guys on alert." He risked another look around the tree trunk and smirked as he scanned the ground. Loose gravel, dirt, twigs and leaves littered the forest floor; a perfect cover if he ran fast enough. He pulled his goggles down over his eyes, made sure his pack was secure on his back and took off as fast as he dared.

Wally heard warning shouts and the sounds of guns being fired as he literally ran circles around the soldiers, kicking up a blinding cloud of dust and debris. When he was sure no one could see him he dashed forward for the mobile base, braced himself and quickly vibrated through.

"Shit!" he hissed when he came through in a large, one room lab stocked full of shocked scientists in white coats and more than a few guards.

"He's in the base!" one of the guards yelled over his walkie-talkie before guns were raised and pointed at the red haired boy. "Be warned, he's a meta!"

Wally didn't give them a chance to start shooting as soon as he spotted the small, silver case lying on the table. "Of course it's through you guys though," he complained, gesturing towards the scientists and guards. "All right, look, I'm just here to run an errand," he said a little louder. "So I'll be taking this," he added as he zipped between the people blocking him to grab the case. "And I'll be out of you hair." Wally smirked and offered a mock salute. "Keep up the relatively poor work guys, it just makes my job all the easier."

Rather than risk trying to vibrate through and failing, Wally made a dash for the exit, kicked the door open and took off into the woods, leaving angry shouts and gunfire behind him. He'd been running for maybe ten minutes, slowing down a bit at the tree growth thickened, and thinking that he was probably in the clear by this point when the heavy, deep sounds of helicopter blades slicing through the air reached his ears. He risked a look back and growled when he saw the sleek black chopper making its way towards him, guns already trained on him.

"Well isn't that just fan-fucking-tastic!" he yelled. "You guys are absolute assholes!" he added, not sure whether he meant the soldiers chasing him or the Shadows that had dumped him here in the first place. After a brief moment's consideration he decided it didn't really matter who he meant; it fit either way. Growling, he picked up the pace as fast as he dared, darting between trees and doing his best to avoid the reaching braches and roots that tangled the ground; the sound of the helicopter firing urging him to run even faster. He hissed in a pained breath and nearly fell when one of the shots got lucky and grazed his side. As it was, he stumbled and quickly dove to the side to avoid the helicopter's pass by.

"Damn it!" he growled, pressing his hand to his side and pulling it away just as quickly when the pressure caused his side to erupt in pain. He glanced down and saw his hand was smeared with crimson beads of blood and a glance down confirmed that his shirt was torn and bloody. Suddenly, he heard shouting behind him and he quickly burst to his feet, swaying slightly and shaking his head vigorously to clear it. He took a moment to shove the silver case into his backpack and thought about snagging one of the protein bars, but as the shouting and crackling of walkie-talkies grew closer he settled for dashing off instead and hoping his energy held.

Twenty minutes later he had left the searching soldiers well behind him and he was lucky enough not to have heard the helicopter for a while. He slowed to a normal paced trot and took a few deep breaths before glacing down at his side again. He frowned when he saw blood still trickling out, coating his side and making his shirt stick to his skin. He sucked in another deep breath and pressed his hand back to his side, hoping to slow the blood flow further until he had the chance to restore the energy he had lost so his skin could knit itself back together. Wanting to get this whole experience over and done with, he started forward again at a much slower pace and hoped he found the checkpoint soon so he could chuck the stupid case at whoever picked him up. Sure, it wouldn't be all that productive, but at least it'd make him feel better.

* * *

><p>After hijacking the jeep, Artemis found the checkpoint easily enough and handed off the case before being bundled on a puddle-jumper <em>(2)<em> and sent off to the nearest airport. From their she boarded a private jet and was in the air before she even had a chance to really figure out where she had been. About three hours later the plane landed in a private airport and she stood, expecting to get off, when she was told that this was not the final stop. Curious, and annoyed, she looked out the windows and saw nothing but forest on either side of the private airstrip. Her attention quickly turned to the doorway when it was pulled open and someone shuffled in. She bolted out of her chair when a familiar head of red hair trudged in, looking in distinctly less better shape than she had left him in.

"Wally!" she cried as she ran up to him, looking him over. He was breathing a little heavier, he looked a little pale and one side of his shirt was torn and soaked with dried blood. "What happened?"

"I got into a fight with a helicopter," Wally replied, an easy smile on his face when he caught sight of Artemis. "Would you believe I actually won the fight? Well, technically anyway."

"Where did they send you that you fought a helicopter?" the irrate blonde demanded, already glaring around, looking for someone to take her anger out on.

"Out there," Wally replied with a wave of his hand to the forest surrounding them. "Apparently at least part of it is a secure military compound and I was sent in blind to swipe a case for them."

"Same here," Artemis said after a moment. "Though I was in the middle of a desert. They had me steal a case out of a jeep I 'happened' to cross paths with."

"What a happy little accident for them," Wally replied with a roll of his eyes. "Any idea where we are or at least which country we're in?"

"None," Artemis reported with a shake of her head.

"Same here," Wally grumbled. "The bastards knocked me out with something heavy duty and completely messed up my GPS as a result." He wobbled slightly on his feet and had to blink rapidly for a few minutes when he felt Artemis grip his arm and pull him gently to the long bench seat on the other wall.

"Sit," she commanded, her tone no nonsense, before she disappeared back towards the bathroom. She came back a few minutes later to find Wally already stretched out on the bench, his wounded side facing her and his shirt peeled off. "I've trained you well," she joked, a ghost of a smile crossing her face as she knelt at his side and looked over the long gash on his side. "Why hasn't this healed over by now?"

"Besides the fact that it just happened a little over two hours ago?" Wally replied, a weary smile on his lips. "Probably because I've been running hard to get away from the soldiers on my tail so I haven't had a lot of time to actually replenish any energy."

"Then we're disinfecting this, wrapping it up and then you're eating something," Artemis returned.

"Yes ma'am," Wally quipped back, before hissing in a breath wehn Artemis pressed an alcohol soaked clothe against his side. "Well that was less then pleasant."

"Suck it up," Artemis returned before leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

"See, that was much better," Wally said when she pulled away, a teasing smile on his face. "How about we have more of that and less of the burning cloth from Hell?"

"Think you can sit up so we can wrap it?" Artemis asked, pointedly ignoring him, though an amused smile tugged at her lips.

"A slave driver, that's what you are," Wally mock sighed even as he levered himself up onto his elbows. "Your boyfriend is mortally wounded and you order him around."

"No, my boyfriend is just fishing for sympathy even though he knows full well that this scrap will be gone within a couple hours at the most," Artemis retorted, amused. Carefully and quickly she bandaged the wound on his side, relieved to see that it was already looking a bit better, and wrapping it in gauze before she kicked the first aid kit aside and sat down behind Wally, letting him rest his head in her lap. "I'm glad you're okay," she told him sincerely, her fingers twining gently in his hair.

"Me too, Beautiful," Wally replied, his hand coming up to gently her face in his palm. "I was worried about you."

"Well, of the two of us, it looks like you were the one to worry about," Artemis joked.

"See, that's what I get for taking on a chopper in a fight," Wally said with a self-depreciating mock sigh. "At least ones with guns. I think a regular helicopter would be no match for me though."

"I'd rather not test the theory," Artemis laughed. "I don't need to be running around after you trying to keep you from picking a fight with every helicopter you see. You'd completely trash our image in a matter of seconds, and we can't have that. Not that you're geekiness doesn't already cause us enough problems," she added with a teasing smile.

"Oh shut up," Wally chuckled. "You love me and you know it babe, so what does that make you?"

"An idiot," Artemis grinned as she leaned in close. "But a very happy idiot that doesn't want this to change."

"Good," Wally whispered, his lips a breath from hers. "Cause it's forever and always with us, Beautiful."

"Forever and always," Artemis promised in return before she kissed him again, content when Wally dragged her down to lay next to him and wrapped her in his arms.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying being together again after their forced separation, even if it was short, when Wally's gaze fell on his discarded pack and the black duffle bag that sat by Artemis' chair.

"So, you looked in your case yet?" Wally asked.

"Actually, no," Artemis replied, a mischievous smirk curling her lips upwards. "But that doesn't mean we can't now."

Smirking at each other, the pair pulled themselves off the bench and dragged their bags back over. They pulled the cases out and Artemis immediately set about inspecting the locks.

"They're both electronic," Artemis said. "Give me a few minutes and I'll have them disabled," she added as she immediately went at both digital displays. Before long, both locks gave a soft beep and the cases clicked open. "Done!" Artemis crowed triumphantly.

"Nice job, Beautiful," Wally returned, briefly kissing her cheek before turning his attention to the cases, pushing them both open.

Inside the smaller case Wally had been sent to retrieve was a small chunk of glowing green rock. "Kryptonite?" he questioned, leaning in closer for a better look. "No, it's too porous." He sat back, stunned. "I honestly have no idea what this is. I suppose it could be radioactive, but without the right equipment I have no idea." With a frustrated sigh he slammed the case lid back down and shoved the whole thing back into his pack.

"And this stuff?" Artemis added, gesturing to her case. It was full of parts and wires, all snugly nestled in their place.

"Aren't wires and parts your specialty?" Wally asked.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I can tell you what they're for when it's just a bunch of parts," Artemis grumbled, closing her case and shoving it away as well.

"Guess we're just going to have to wait and be surprised," Wally replied.

"I hate surprises," Artemis complained.

"I know," Wally said, eyeing both bags critically. "So do I."

The flight lasted longer than the pair would have thought, though Wally did enjoy the time he had to rest and replenish the energy he had lost running around and healing. When they finally touched ground he was almost back to 100 percent, though his side still ached if he pulled it the wrong way.

"So," Wally began as he stepped off the plane, Artemis right behind him. "Where are we crashing tonight? Since we can't exactly go home while our mothers think we're on a summer long trip we can go anywhere we want."

"What about back home with us?" a young voice asked from the tarmac.

Both Wally and Artemis tensed and growled dangerously when they spotted the whole team on the runway below them.

"What are you four doing here?" Artemis snarled.

"We could ask you the same thing," Aqualad replied, trying to keep his voice calm and placating. "We received a tip that agents of the Shadows were landing here with stolen equipment. Imagine our surprise in finding you here instead."

"Well, not exactly how I planned the reveal to go," Wally laughed harshly. "But if you really think you're getting what we stole then you've lost even more brain cells since we left. And let's be honest, none of you had that many to spare in the first place."

"You stole?" Miss Martian questioned. "Do you mean you joined the Shadows? Why?"

"Give the alien a prize!" Artemis mocked. "She only had to be given a glaringly obvious hint to figure it out."

"Guys," Robin tried, his voice sounding hurt, but wary. "Please, you don't have to do this. Whatever they're blackmailing you with we can help you fix it."

"Funny," Artemis began conversationally, looking over to Wally. "I was under the impression that we joined the Shadows willingly."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Wally replied. "I mean they offer pretty good benefits and such a great retirement package that thought it just made sense to join."

"Wally, Artemis, please," Aqualad tried again. "We can work this out. Just come back with us."

"So you can lie to us again?" Artemis snapped. "Not likely."

"We didn't mean harm," Miss Martian protested almost tearfully.

"Oh stuff it!" Wally yelled. "We're not in the mood to be tricked and manipulated by a bunch of backstabbing assholes."

"Ironic, given your new allegiances," Superboy interjected, an angry scowl on his face.

"We know what we're doing," Artemis shrugged, unconcerned. "And we knew what we were getting into from day one."

"You realize that if you persist in this we will have to stop you, do you not?" Aqualad said. "Are you prepared for that?"

"I think the better question it, are you?" Wally asked with a dangerous smile and a wild light brewing in his green eyes, giving them a poisonous hue.

"Do you really think your rag tag group has what it takes to stop us?" Artemis continued, a feral storm flashing in her grey eyes as a taunting smirk tugged at her lips.

"We will if we must," Aqualad returned and, as if on cue, the whole team shifted stances and launched themselves forward.

Wally and Artemis dropped their bags and met them head-on. Artemis ducked under a punch Superboy threw towards her face and used his momentum to send him flying over her shoulder, only to take a kick to the shoulder from Robin. She stumbled forward, snarled at the Boy Wonder, and sent a roundhouse kick to his ribs that the younger boy just barely managed to block, but sent him crashing into Superboy as he tried to stand.

For his part, Wally was easily dodging and running circles around Aqualad and Miss Martian, at least until the Atlantian spread water all over the tarmac and sent the young speedster slipping all over the place, giving Miss Martian a chance to stop him telepathically. Frozen in place, all the red head could do was snarl and curse. Artemis frowned, found she had a moment while Robin and Superboy tried to disentangle themselves, grabbed her bow and fired an explosive arrow at the Martian girl. No sooner had she gotten the shot off before she was tackled to the ground and pinned by both Robin and Superboy. She didn't bother struggling; instead she ducked her head as best she could to shield it from the blast.

Miss Martian had to drop her concentration on Wally to block the explosion, the fire and debris the explosion kicked up blinded everyone for a moment. Wally quickly pulled his goggles down to shield his eyes, zipped over to Artemis and scooped her up before taking off. He remembered just in time to speed back in and snatch their packs and speed back off into the night.

"That went less than stellar," Wally sighed when he finally came to a stop, miles away.

"We weren't ready for them," Artemis reasoned. "And we'd both been out running a mission that left us tired and less than at top performance."

"Well, let's hope that's all it was," Cheshire's disembodied voice drifted from the shadows around them. "Because, quite frankly, that little fight of your sucked, and they weren't even putting in their A game. Probably some do-gooder notion of trying to get you to come back," she added with a flippant wave of her hand as she stepped out of the shadows. "If you really want the Baby Justice club left to you, you're going to have to do a lot better than that in the future."

"Why are you here Jade?" Artemis demanded.

"To pick up your objectives, of course," the older girl answered. "Oh, and I suppose to tell you that you've both passed," she added as she tossed them each a small, dark colored cell phone and a dark handbag to Artemis. "The Shadows will call when they need you. Until then, use your…signing bonus to take a minute or two for yourselves. Hotwire a Lotus, steal more toys for your experiments, do whatever it is kids your age do these days." Without another word, the masked assassin grabbed both packs and slipped back into the night, disappearing as completely as her namesake.

"I think it's about time we found a place to crash for the night," Wally said as he knelt down so Artemis could climb on his back.

"There's got to be some place in the Middle of Nowhere, U.S.A that's backwoods enough to hide," Artemis agreed as she unzipped the bag and found it stuffed with cash. "At least we won't have to worry about funding."

"One problem down then," Wally replied. "Think it's safe to head back to our base and grab our gear and our bikes? I'm not keen on the idea of just leaving our stuff for the League to grab."

"We should be good if we hurry," Artemis answered.

"Hey, remember who you're talking to," Wally teased. "There's no way they'll beat us back to Gotham." Waiting just long enough for Artemis to take a deep breath and duck her head down, he took off for Gotham.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2<strong>: So, chapter 17 is finally posted, I'm so sorry again for the wait. I've been accepted to graduate school and life got rather hectic sorting all that out. A huge thank you to all readers, reviewers and alerters, you guys always make me smile. Please don't forget to drop a review before you go (hint hint, wink wink ;P) Oh, and just a reminder, I am still accepting OCs to work into this story, but only THREE more are guaranteed to be in it (after that, I'll try, but I can't make any promises) and remember, you have to PM me (the more details you provide, the better so I can try and keep your character as true to your vision as possible). Thank you to all of you that have already sent me your OCs, I'm loving them so far :D

_(1)_ So I may be wrong on this, but I was under the impression that all speedsters had some sort of innate sense of direction that allowed them to keep on track and reach their destinations while traveling at super speed; basically like an internal GPS (though one that never tells you it's "recalculating" of course ;P)

_(2)_ Puddle-jumpers are what my family call those really small (like no more than eight rows of seats) planes, most of which still have propellers. I wasn't sure if anyone else called them this, so I thought I'd clarify.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN 1**: I wonder how many people actually read these things... Regardless, please allow me a minute to express my deepest and most sincere apologies. I honestly didn't mean to leave you guys hanging this long. Life just kind of went crazy on me and a lot of my plans I had for myself fell apart. On top of all of that, the Universe decided to slap me in the face a couple times for no other reason than it thought it would be hilarious. As a result, writing of any kind pretty much stopped for me for a while. I couldn't find the will or energy to even work on my original work. Things are finally getting back on track now and hopefully I can get my writing going again as well. Thank you all for being so patient (and for the reviews and PMs about getting back at this. Believe it or not, those do actually inspire me to keep going, even if it does take a while for me to pump out a new chapter). Thanks again and enjoy to chapter :)

Oh! Also, a few of you sent in OCs and you may see some of them here ;) I'm not telling which ones yet cause I want it to be a surprise, but credit for the characters is in my AN at the end.

**Disclaimer**: I in no way own Young Justice, nor do I profit from this in any way. This story is written purely for entertainment (and because the plot bunnies refuse to leave the author alone until they're written down, the pushy little jerks).

* * *

><p>It didn't take Wally long to run them back into Gotham from the airport, despite feeling run down already. He ran them right to their hideout and waited patiently while Artemis typed in the code.<p>

"You all right?" she asked as she pushed the door open.

"Just need to eat something and rest up," Wally answered, leaning against the door frame for a minute before following Artemis down the stairs and into their abandoned substation. He watched contemplatively as Artemis bustled around and shoved half-finished projects into a bag and dug out her bike helmet.

"You going to pack anything, or just stand there?" the blonde archer asked with a raised brow.

"Not much to pack," Wally replied with a shrug before tapping his own helmet once with his knuckles. "Everything else is too big and too easily spotted to take with me."

"Any samples you want to take?" Artemis pressed, nodding her head in the direction of the large fridge where Wally kept everything he wasn't currently using.

"No way to store anything," the red head negated with a shake of his head. "Besides, I've run all the tests I can think of on the venom we confiscated," he added with a smirk. "If the League gets in here I say they can have the scraps I've left behind. Oh! That reminds me," he mumbled to himself as he turned back to his work desk and shuffled all the papers strewn about into a single pile. "Got any more room in that bag for these?" he asked, holding up the mess of papers.

"Yeah," Artemis replied, walking over and holding the bag open. "Dump them all in. What are they anyway?"

"My notes," Wally grinned. "No need for them to find out what I've been working on."

The two packed up quickly, making sure to take their stashes of spare civilian clothes from their hiding places, before flipping off the lights for the final time and sending their small hideout into a complete lockdown. Wally quickly belted down their bags to the back of his bike and pulled his helmet over his head.

"Forget anything?" he asked over the link in their helmets.

"Nothing that's important if I can't think of it," Artemis replied as she gunned the gas on her bike.

"So where to?" Wally asked as he sped out after the blonde archer, both of them easily flitting through the Gotham Central traffic as though it wasn't there.

Artemis was quiet for a moment, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "Can we?" she questioned, knowing that Wally would understand.

"Yeah, I wanted to stop there too," Wally replied just as quietly.

The two teens quickly weaved through cars and pedestrians alike, not paying any attention to the honks and yells that followed them as they cut people off and darted through narrow gaps. Before long they reached the most familiar street in all of Gotham. Quietly, they pulled into a narrow alleyway and shut off their bikes.

"Think they're asleep?" Artemis asked as she pulled off her helmet. Her eyes were trained on the fire escape, searching for any light coming through the window on the fourth floor.

Wally glanced at his watch for a moment before answering. "Probably," he said at last. "It's after midnight and they both have to work in the morning."

Artemis nodded to herself a couple of times before softly springing up onto the fire escape and making her way to the fourth floor. Wally came up right behind her and they both jimmied the window to the fourth floor open, slipping silently inside. For a moment, the two of them just stood there, taking in the living room that had pulled double duty as their family room and their bedroom for years. For now, no messy piles of blankets decorated either couch and their pillows were probably tucked safely away in the hall closet. The pair spared each other one look before taking off through two different doors.

Wally stood in his mother's doorway, almost afraid to step inside. Finally, his desire to say good-bye won out and he made his way to her bedside. "Hey mom," he whispered softly, too low for her to hear in her sleep. "I just, uh, I just came to say good-bye. Artie and me, well, we've got to go away and, uh, I'm not sure when we'll be back. If we'll ever be back. So I guess I just wanted to say thank you, you know? For everything you've done for me. I'd tell you not to worry, but we both know it wouldn't work," he added, smirking slightly for a moment. "Anyway, uh, yeah. I guess that's all I have to say." Without another word, the red head got up and made his way back to the doorway, only to pause one more time. "I love you mom," he said into the quiet room. "No matter what, no matter what I become, that will never change."

While Wally was saying his good-byes to his own mother, Artemis had made her way into her own mom's room. For the first few minutes, the blonde archer just stood there, staring down at her mother and willing the tears in her eyes to stay where they belonged. "Please don't be disappointed in me," she finally whispered, her voice sounding choked and hoarse. "We had to do it. And we'll be safe. I'll be safe, I promise." She paused for a minute and shook her head. "Okay, so I can't really promise that, we both know that. But you know Wally, he'll do his damndest to keep me from getting hurt and you can be sure I'll do the same for him. I wish I could say I'm sorry, but I can't. I know you probably won't be proud of me, and I can only hope you'll eventually forgive me, but I still love you mom," Artemis forced out through the lump growing in her throat. "I know what I'm going to do is a really poor way to show it, but I do love you." Gently, ever so carefully, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her mother's forehead. "Good-bye mom."

Before her tears could actually fall, Artemis dashed out of the room and slipped back out on to the fire escape. She leaned back against the wall, her head tilted up in hopes of keeping the water leaking from her eyes to an absolute minimum. She didn't have to wait very long for Wally to sneak back out and stand beside her. He didn't even hesitate as he pulled her into his arms. She immediately tucked her head into the crook of his neck and shoulder, her arms wrapping around his torso tightly. With her face hidden and being wrapped securely in Wally's arms, Artemis didn't even try to hold back anymore. She shuddered silently once before the dams behind her eyes broke and the tears came pouring out.

"I've got you, Angel," Wally whispered into her hair. "I've got you. Forever and always."

"Forever and always," Artemis eventually answered, her voice sounding thick. "We've got to go, got to keep moving," she added, though she made no move to untangle herself from the red head's arms.

"Are you ready?" Wally asked, his hold tightening slightly. "I think we're good if you need another minute."

"No," Artemis mumbled as she finally pulled herself from his arms. "We don't know how far behind they are and we need to be gone before they get here."

Wally watched her face for a moment, gently brushing his thumbs across her cheeks to wipe away the stray tears. He leaned in and softly pressed his lips against hers, gently cupping her face between his hands. "All right," he said when he pulled away. "Let's get out of here then." He didn't say another word as the two of them climbed back onto their bikes, spared one last glance towards the fourth floor window and drove off into the night.

The rode in silence for a while, both of them lost in the melancholy of their own thoughts, before they realized they hadn't really picked a final destination. They weighed the pros and cons of finding a big city over a little back water place in the middle of nowhere for a good half hour. On the one hand, slipping into a big city would give them the anonymity of crowds to blend into, but almost every single city big enough to hide in had at least one hero assigned to it and sometimes more than one sidekick. On the other hand, hiding out in the middle of nowhere would give them a chance to get lost off the grid, but strangers were almost always noticed in places like that and all it would take would be a couple of questions and they'd be caught. They even thought about slipping out of the country, but quickly dismissed the idea since going through customs would only make it that much easier for them to be found. Eventually they decided to slip off to the Southwest and hide out somewhere in Arizona.

For the next four days the pair stayed in a cheap motel just on the outskirts of Tucson. They were still close enough to the big city to be anonymous in a crowd, but far enough removed that they didn't have to worry about getting spotted because of a random security camera that happened to get a lucky shot. When they had first arrived they had briefly considered staying in Summerhaven up Mt. Lemmon, but quickly shot the idea down as being too much of a risk. While it was a nice little place, it wouldn't give them anywhere near the anonymity they needed to keep a low profile.

Artemis had decided to hit the pool that afternoon while Wally was out on his daily run. Once they had settled in the red head had taken to going on runs through the city to get a feel of where they were and what was going on. He figured if he could keep his ear to the ground, so to speak, they'd be one step ahead of the Team if they ever managed to track them down. The had talked the night before about maybe moving on, to keep moving, but figured they could probably get through the end of the week.

When Artemis surfaced for air she found herself looking up at her red headed, freckled boyfriend. She smiled in greeting until she saw the frown pulling at his face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"We might have a problem," Wally answered as he sat down on the edge of the pool and let his legs fall into the water.

"A problem how?" Artemis pressed.

"Well, when I was out running I thought I saw Dick in street clothes, obviously looking for someone, but I don't think it was us," Wally replied.

"Okay, so what does that mean?" the blonde archer continued as she pulled herself out of the water to sit beside Wally.

"I don't really know," Wally shrugged. "He said something like 'her plane landed an hour ago' but I didn't exactly stick around to get more details. I didn't see the others, but they must have been spread out pretty far if he was using a comm. link instead of the psychic connection."

"Do you think it's safe to move then? With them already in the city?" Artemis asked, a frown of her own tugging at her lips.

"Can't say," Wally replied with another shrug. "Without knowing where they are and where they're watching, it might do us more harm than good. At least right now they aren't actively looking for us; that gives us something."

Artemis nodded absently, getting the rest of the way out of the water and beginning to wring out her hair. "So do we just stick it out in the room for a couple of days?"

"Maybe," Wally said, standing up as well and snagging his sneakers from the ground and following after Artemis as she made her way back to their room. "I saw Dick in the downtown area, so we may be safe out here."

Artemis slipped the key card out of her bag and through the reader, pushing the door open only to freeze in the doorway. She felt Wally bump into her and mumble out half an apology before she felt him stiffen behind her as well.

"You know," Jade began conversationally, stretched out lazily on Artemis' bed. "With that sign on bonus you got from the Shadows, you could have gone anywhere. Why pick a dump like this?"

"What are you doing here?" Artemis demanded, her hands curling tightly into fists.

"Well, if you'd answer the phones we gave you, then there wouldn't be a need for me to drop in," Jade drawled. "Or lead your little playmates here."

"So it's you that they're tailing," Wally growled. "I'd say that's a rookie mistake, but we both know you did it on purpose."

"Then why bother stating it?" Jade drawled as she rose from the bed. "So you've got two choices here. You can stick around and wait for them to find you, and you know they will," she added with her signature Cheshire smile growing on her face. "Or, you can listen to me and get the mission you should have answered your phones for."

"What mission?" Artemis grumbled as she flopped onto the bed her older sister had just vacated.

"Nothing complicated," Jade answered with a flippant wave of her hand. "You two will be...acquiring something while I'm off on other...business."

"So basically you need us to steal something else and you'll be putting a knife in someone's back," Wally returned completely deadpanned.

"Well, it may not be a knife in the back," Jade smiled again, easily putting her mask to shame. "So, what's your decision little sister? We both know your red headed pet will follow wherever you go."

Wally bristled and growled at Jade's comment, his hands clenching tightly into fists, but he settled for simply glaring at his girlfriend's dark haired sister when the blonde placed a hand on his arm.

"Such hostility," Jade laughed, completely undeterred from the speedster's glare. "What did I ever do to you, I wonder. I hardly remember ever having much to do with you at all really."

"It wasn't me that you did anything to," Wally spat back.

Jade spared a glance towards Artemis, looking her over once, before turning back to Wally and raising one eyebrow. "She turned out just it seems. No harm done."

"Are you kidding me?" the red head explode, nearly launching himself into the dark haired girl across from him. Only Artemis placing a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Well, not that it hasn't been fun chatting about nothing with you, but you've got a decision to make," Jade drawled. "Are you coming with me, or am I telling our superiors you're ignoring mission orders?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming," Artemis replied. "Where are we meeting you?"

"Private airstrip just north of here," Jade answered. "The address is in a text message on your phones. You've got one hour to get ready and get there; don't be late."

Without another word, Artemis' older sister swept out of the room; never once looking back at the pair she left behind. When Artemis was sure she was gone, she snatched a pillow off of the bed, shoved her face into it and screamed as loudly as she could. Wally waited and watched patiently until she collapsed bonelessly onto the bed, the pillow still over her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, carefully removing the pillow from his girlfriend's face.

"I will be," Artemis grumbled after a brief pause. "Let's just get this over with."

Almost an hour later saw Wally and Artemis standing on the tarmac outside of a private hanger. They had stowed their bikes in the back, behind racks of tools and tarps and waited for Jade to arrive. The dark haired girl finally showed up fifteen minutes later; which had Wally scowling darkly and tapping his foot impatiently.

"Bout time," he growled.

"Oh calm down," Jade returned with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I could have led your little friends right to us if you'd have preferred. You could have had a rematch and lose just as horribly as you did the first time."

Wally opened his mouth to spit back an insult but got cut off when Artemis beat him to it. "Are we leaving or talking? Cause the longer you have us standing out in the open the easier it'll be for them to find us. If you really went to the trouble of ditching them it'd be pretty stupid to let them catch us now."

"Follow me then," Jade returned with a smirk as she led the way up the steps and into the small, private plane.

Wally and Artemis shuffled in behind the older girl, both of them tossing their bags onto the first seats they could and claiming the next two right behind them. Artemis waited for Wally to get situated against the wall of the plane before sliding in next to him. She stared at the armrest for half a heartbeat, lifted it and Wally's arm out of the way and turned to fit into his side and sprawl across the seat. She smiled a bit to herself when his arm automatically wrapped around her and he threaded his fingers with hers.

"Wake me up when we get there, wherever there is," the blonde mumbled as she let her eyes drift closed, falling asleep quickly despite the roar of the engines starting up and the jolt of takeoff.

The ride was quiet for the first forty-five minutes while Artemis slept and Wally spent his time staring out the window. His mind was strangely blank as he watched the clouds float lazily by. Ever since the accident, his mind was always on "go"; it never stopped, never slowed down. He had to make a conscious effort to dial it back and focus on the world around him just to interact with everyone. But here, in the plane, flying off to who knows where with one of the few people he truly hated sitting just a few seats away; he felt oddly calm. He wouldn't say he was at peace; he was a long way from ever reaching that state of mind, assuming he ever really wanted to anyway, but he was calm. It was an odd feeling, one he hadn't had in a long while, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it.

"Was she okay?" Jade finally asked after a while, her tone oddly soft and almost hesitant.

Wally glanced up, sparring one look towards the older girl before his attention shifted back to his sleeping girlfriend. "No," he answered shortly. "No she wasn't. After you left it seemed like I was patching her up more and more often. Your bastard of a father got increasingly violent; especially when she didn't quite match up to you."

"I had to leave," Jade returned, an edge her voice making her seem defensive.

"Whatever," Wally replied as he shrugged the shoulder Artemis wasn't using as a pillow, instantly dismissing the older girl. "You did what you did, and what happened has happened. You can't change it, even if you wish you could."

"I do," Jade said quietly after a lengthy pause, her voice quiet once again. "She's my baby sister and I shouldn't have left her. I should have stayed to protect her, but she had you. I thought she would be fine. I thought if I left, dad would back off and leave her alone."

Wally looked up once more and a moment of quiet understanding passing between them. He was still angry with her, but he supposed he could at least admit he could see where she was coming from. "Then that plan of yours really backfired."

"Just because I left, doesn't mean I stopped caring," Jade added quickly before a small smile stole across her face for a brief moment as she glanced at her little sister. "The Cheshire Cat usually watches over Alice from afar. That said, she is still my baby sister and if you hurt her, I can promise you right now that you will be begging for death by the time I'm done with you."

"If you have been watching over her, even a little, you would know that would never happen," Wally whispered quietly, his arm tightening slightly around the sleeping blonde. "Everything I am is hers and I'll be by her side until she doesn't want me anymore."

Jade snorted, but a smile briefly flashed across her face again. "That was sappy, West, very sappy. Besides, you and I both know that you're stuck with her for the rest of your life if that's the case."

Wally nodded once in Jade's direction before turning back to stare out the window. The silence that fell over the cabin wasn't as tense this time; an unlikely sort of peace had settled over the two still awake and even Artemis seemed to smile slightly in her sleep.

Before long Wally felt a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him awake. He groaned once and tried to shove the hand away even as he tried to back further into the wall behind him.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty," an amused voice trilled lightly at the edges of his consciousness. "It won't help no matter how long you sleep; you're still going to look like you."

"You're just lucky I love you," Wally grumbled as he cracked an eye open to frown up at the grin spreading across Artemis' face.

"No, you're lucky I love you," the blonde teased back, playfully sticking her tongue out at him before leaning in and giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"You're in a good mood," Wally commented around a yawn as he stretched out his arms and legs. He let out a small sigh when his back cracked loudly before he stood up and snagged his bag from the seat in front of him. "Any particular reason?"

"Because right now I'll take anything to keep my mind off of the darkness we're walking deeper into," Artemis replied solemnly.

Wally just nodded in response and snagged her hand, lacing their fingers together in an easy motion that spoke of plenty of practice and familiarity. "Would you go back if you could?" he asked quietly before they got off the plane.

"Never," Artemis hissed instantly, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Would you?"

"Not a chance," Wally replied, his eyes shifting to a toxic green as a wicked smirk flitted across his lips.

"I didn't realize you slept like the dead West," Cheshire taunted as she stepped out of the shadows and onto the tarmac. "If I had known then maybe I would have tried harder to keep you awake."

"We've got time," Artemis dismissed as she let her bag slip to the ground. "It's not even full night yet."

"Says who?" Cheshire questioned, her hands on her hips. Though they couldn't see behind her smiling mask, both Artemis and Wally were sure she was smirking at them. "You don't even know what you're doing or where you are."

Wally paused for a moment and took a look around. He felt colder than he usually did in Gotham and he could vaguely make out mountains in the distance through the gloomy dusk, but nothing gave away their position. He tried to check in with his innate GPS, but because he had fallen asleep he had yet to reorient himself. "I'll bite," he said at last. "Where are we?"

"Switzerland," Cheshire finally answered. "You'll be breaking into a secure weapons facility and copying their server onto this," she added as she tossed an external hard drive to Artemis.

"A secure weapons facility in Switzerland?" Wally questioned skeptically. "They're always neutral; what could they have that the Shadows want?"

"Never trust the quiet ones," Cheshire sing-songed back. "Besides, you're not paid to know what we do with the information; you're just paid to retrieve it."

"And where will you be?" Artemis interjected.

"Oh, I'll be around, eventually," Cheshire laughed. "I've got my own job to do that just so happened to be around the same area you'll be."

"Uh-huh," Artemis returned with an upward quirk of her eyebrow and a slight frown on her face. "Whatever, just give us a second to gear up."

Without another word Wally and Artemis slipped past Cheshire and into the dark hanger behind her to change. They were quiet as they tugged on their uniforms and Artemis made sure her bow was in working order and enough arrows were loaded into her quiver. When the pair walked back out they paused for a moment to see three other people standing around near Cheshire. All three figures were definitely female, and all fairly tall. The girl closest to Cheshire was dressed in a dark orange bodysuit with fingerless gloves, which only highlighted her dark orange hair and her red-orange eyes burning out from beneath her domino mask. As Artemis and Impulse moved closer they saw a fox tail twitching and swaying behind her and two guns holstered at her hips. When she noticed them her lips lifted slightly in a silent snarl and fangs glinted briefly in the quickly waning light.

The girl next to her had pixie cut, dark auburn hair and pale white skin. She was dressed in a long sleeved black shirt with a purple swirl design splashed across the front of it. Tight black pants covered her legs and knee high black boots completed her outfit. A dark belt hung loosely around her hips and a long, wicked looking knife was sheathed on her thigh.

The last girl, the oldest looking and tallest of the three, was dressed in a red vest zipped to the bottom of her bust, covering the orange spaghetti strapped shirt underneath. She wore orange pants with flecks of blue throughout and knee high boots with the same color scheme. The color of her clothes only served to make her red hair with orange highlights stand out even more.

"And they are?" Artemis questioned, her hands on her hips as she glared at Cheshire.

"Oh, did I forget to mention the team you've been assigned to for this mission?" Cheshire laughed back. "After that close disaster from your initiation, the higher ups decided to make sure you didn't lose again."

"That doesn't really answer the question," Impulse shot back.

"It's not my job to give introductions," Cheshire replied with an unconcerned shrug. "If you want to get all buddy-buddy that's on you. I've got a job to do." With a quick, mock salute, the older assassin disappeared into the shadows.

"So who are you?" Artemis demanded of the other girls.

"Shouldn't we be asking you?" the girl with the fox tail asked. "We've been working for the Shadows a lot longer than you have. Technically, we have seniority."

"I wouldn't count on that," Artemis snorted. "We've been in this one way or another for years."

"Whatever, we have a job to do," the girl with fiery red hair interrupted. "Standing around trying to figure out who's been working this the longest won't get it done. I'm Blaze; the girl with the fox tail is Fox and the other girl is Belle. You two are Impulse and Artemis. Your abilities include super speed, expert hand-to-hand combat and deadly accuracy with a bow. Until further notice, we're stuck working together so we might as well shut up and get this done."

"You seem to know a lot about us," Impulse replied, an eyebrow raised under his cowl as he stepped subtly closer to Artemis. "I'm not entirely comfortable with that."

"Really?" Fox asked with a teasing grin. "Cause I would think it would be a bit more difficult for you to be the only guy on a team of girls."

"I think the biggest problem here is whether or not we can trust them," Belle said, sweeping her arms to indicate the two other girls with her. "Remember, they were baby JLA members for a while."

"Not by choice!" Artemis spat. "We got tricked into it and we were lied to the entire time. We're done with them."

"You'll have to forgive me if I hold out on that until I actually see the proof," Belle replied. "Now let's get moving. We've got a secure weapons facility to break into and you've got an entire server to compress and copy," she added, gesturing briefly to Artemis.

"Are we walking then?" Impulse asked.

"You've got super speed," Fox taunted. "At least, that's what we were told," she added with a sly grin.

"I'm not carrying all of you," Impulse shot back immediately.

"You won't need to," Belle answered. "Fox and I can hotwire a car on the way, Blaze has her own way of getting around and you should be used to running with Artemis."

Impulse and Artemis shared a look, the blonde rolling her eyes as he shrugged and crouched low for her to climb on his back. "Where are we headed exactly?" Impulse asked.

"Here," Blaze said, tossing a small slip of paper to the pair before fire erupted around her, coalescing into fiery wings sprouting from her shoulder blades. "Don't be late." Without another word, her wings beat once and she took off into the sky.

"Meet you there," Fox added with a mock salute and a grin before she and Belle turned and headed for the parking lot to find a car.

"What do you think?" Impulse asked quietly after the other three were gone.

"I think they're meant to keep tabs on us," Artemis replied just as softly. "Make sure the Shadows can actually trust us."

"They're different than the normal experimented teens," Impulse added. "They actually have free will."

"Some other sort of experiment maybe?" Artemis suggested. "Or maybe they're born Metas and they sided with the Shadows. It wouldn't exactly be the first time."

"True," Impulse sighed. "Well, let's get this over with."

Taking her cue, Artemis wrapped her arms a little tighter around Impulse's neck and buried her face into his shoulder to keep the wind from her eyes. A smile stretched across her lips when she felt him shoot forward; no matter how often she had traveled like this, it never failed to send a thrill through her each time Impulse rocketed off. Before too long though, they were skidding to a stop and she lifted her head to see where they were. She frowned at the squat, dark building surrounded by a high concrete wall and an even higher chain link fence that wrapped around the entire structure. A guard tower was posted at each corner of the wall and guards periodically walked around the perimeter at random intervals.

"Is this a weapons facility or a prison?" the archer asked after a moment.

"Maybe a bit of both," Impulse answered. "Looks like we're here first anyway, want to scout around and see if we can find a way in?" He took off again when he felt Artemis nod her head next to his.

After making at least three complete cycles around the building and even pausing every once in a while to try and find a pattern in the guards' routes, Impulse and Artemis returned to the rendezvous point and waited.

"I'm not seeing a way in," Artemis said after she climbed off of Impulse's back. "At least not one five people can exploit." She looked over, a frown forming on her face, when she heard the tell-tale crinkle of an energy bar being opened. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Impulse replied after swallowing a mouthful. "Sleeping on the plane helped. This is really just to make sure I don't crash once we're in there. We haven't really gotten a lot of information on this mission."

"That's something the Shadows and the League seem to have in common," Artemis snarled. "I'm not a fan of being kept in the dark."

"Prove you're actually worth our time and then the higher ups might start telling you something," Belle said as she and Fox slipped out of a dark patch of shadows.

Artemis scowled, about to throw back her own comment when Blaze dropped out of the sky, landing neatly next to the group. "Good, we're all here," she said. "Let's get moving, we don't have all night."

"And how are we getting in?" Impulse demanded. "Artemis and I have already scouted this out; there's no viable point of entry."

"Oh ye of little faith," Fox smirked. "Just watch and learn something." She reached into her pocket, smoothly pulling something small and white out and confidently striding right up to the guard post at the front gate. After a short conversation and waiting for the guard to read what was on the white slip, she waved the others over and they all walked right in through the front gate.

"Well, this is new," Impulse mumbled under his breath.

"This is what happens when you work with the right people," Belle answered. "You have more agents and operatives in all the right places."

"So what do we need all of us here for?" Artemis demanded.

"Well, we need you to hack in and get the files sweetheart," Fox answered. "Just cause we got you through the front gate doesn't mean we can do everything for you. And then there's the matter of the baby heroes," she trailed off.

"Put simply, you had your asses pretty much handed to you last time and our bosses want to make sure that the information they need actually gets to them," Blaze added.

"Let's just get this over with then," Impulse grumbled as he moved forward, using the shadows around them to stay as hidden as possible.

The group of five moved easily through the complex, no one glancing their way once; Artemis strongly suspected that might have had something to do with Belle since the girl seemed to have some sort of control over the shadows around them. Before long they arrived in the server room and Artemis slipped quickly inside. She took a glance around the room before zeroing in on a terminal towards the back of the room and stalked towards it.

"This one has all of the other terminals routed through it," she explained before she stuck the external hard drive in and booted the system up. "Anything I should be looking for specifically?"

"Weapons division," Blaze answered immediately. "They want anything and everything you can dig up from that division."

Artemis only nodded once as she focused in and dug through the kilobytes of information to find what she was looking for. Within a few keystrokes she had hacked the system and began copying every last byte of information onto the hard drive. "Done," she said a few minutes later.

"Good," Belle hissed. "Cause the guards have changed and we're going to need to sneak out of here."

The group of five slunk through the hallways, ducking into darkened corners and doorways occasionally when armed patrols walked by.

"This is never going to work," Impulse grumbled. "We need to split up and meet back at the air field."

"I think Fleet-Feet there might be right," Fox added as she tilted her head slightly towards the dark gray and black clad boy. "If we stay as a group, we're bound to get caught."

"Go out individually then?" Blaze asked softly.

"No more than two," Belle added, with a knowing glance towards Artemis and Impulse. "Don't engage unless you have to and get back to the airstrip as fast as possible," she continued as she slipped back and seemed to virtually melt into the shadows.

"Good luck then," Fox said with a mock salute and a teasing grin towards Impulse and Artemis as she turned away as well. "Don't get shot," she added with a soft, quick laugh. "It's a pain to explain why people got all bloody and riddled with holes."

"Don't be late," Blaze merely said with a single nod of her head before she too turned on her heel and walked away.

"I get the feeling none of them like us much," Impulse mused thoughtfully.

"What was your first clue?" Artemis asked. "And who really cares; we're not in this to win any popularity contests and we never wanted to work with a team anyway."

"True, but if we get stuck with them, hostility won't help us get anything done," Impulse shrugged as he knelt down to let Artemis on.

"We'll deal with it then," Artemis sighed in return, wrapping her arms around the red head's neck. "This is not turning out the way I thought it would. I suppose it doesn't help that we're not being completely honest either. I managed to copy the files I downloaded for the Shadows. I wonder what would happen if they ever found out."

"You've still got me," Impulse promised, giving her legs a gentle squeeze as he stood back up. "That's never going to change, no matter what. Now let's get out of here, pick up our bikes and find another place to lay low for a while." He waited long enough for Artemis to tuck her head into the crook of his neck before he sped off back the way they had come.

They didn't make it back to the airfield. In fact, they didn't even manage to get halfway there before Impulse came to a sudden, screeching stop. Artemis looked up, hands already reaching for the bow slung across her back, as her eyes darted around the dark landscape.

"Impulse?" she asked softly, frowning when she felt his muscles remained tense, practically vibrating beneath his skin with strained effort. "What's wrong?" she demanded a little louder when he didn't answer right away.

"Can't...move," he managed to finally get out between gritted teeth.

Artemis spat a curse and quickly disentangled herself from Impulses arms. Her feet touched the ground lightly and she set her eyes to scanning the countryside. "I know you're there," she growled. "No one else would be able to stop him dead in his tracks like that. Come out so I can beat you to a pulp and we can get out of here."

"Artemis, please," Miss Martian said, materializing a few feet to the left. Her eyes were pleading and her hand was outstretched. "We don't want to do this. Please, come back."

"Like hell," Artemis hissed viciously, swinging her bow up and drawing an arrow in one fluid motion. "Now release him or this arrow is going through your skull." She wasn't sure what warned her, he didn't make a sound or laugh like he usually did, but Artemis felt movement behind her and, without consciously registering why, she dropped the shot and rolled to her right. She sprung back up on her feet, eyes narrowed at the younger boy dressed in reds and blacks. "Wasn't expecting you," she growled.

"We decided I'd probably be the only one capable of keeping up with you," Robin returned, a certain steel in his voice. "It's not too late you know," he added, his tone softening a bit. "Miss M is right, you can still come back."

"Not happening," Artemis spat back. "Now let him go."

"We can't do that," Robin answered, the hard edge back. "Whatever you took from that base, we can't let the Shadows get it. We will stop you."

Artemis didn't bother answering. Instead, she dropped her bow and slipped her quiver from her shoulders, making sure nothing would hinder her in any way. She dropped low, spreading and lowering her center of gravity to make it more difficult to send her flying. She kept her muscles ready, but her stance loose, ready to react and act quickly to whatever the Boy Wonder decided to throw at her. It helped, she realized, to have fought beside them before, so she wasn't at all surprised when Robin tossed out a couple smoke bombs. Thick clouds of white smoke obscured her vision and she closed her eyes, focusing on everything she could hear around her. Using that same sixth sense she had honed from years of practice and actual fighting, she managed to dodge the fist flying for her gut, but missed the sweep that took her legs out from under her.

"Asshole," Artemis grunted as she flipped herself back up to her feet.

"Like you wouldn't do the same," Robin returned, sounding for a moment like the thirteen year old boy that he was, simply having a friendly match with one of his closest friends.

Artemis smirked to herself, springing forward to the sound of his voice, a kick of her own catching him on his crossed arms he had thrown up to cover his chest. "I thought you knew better, Baby Bat," she taunted.

The smoke had begun to clear and Artemis spared a glance over to see that Impulse was still being held immobile, though it looked like Miss Martian was straining with the effort now. "So, how long do you think she can hold that?" the blonde archer wondered out loud as she ducked a kick to her shoulder and lashed out with a quick jab of her own. "Cause it looks to me like she's about to lose her hold and then what are you going to do?"

"She's stronger than you give her credit for," Robin replied, jumping up and leaping over her in an attempt to catch her off guard. He managed to throw a kick to the middle of her back that sent her flying, though she ended up using the momentum to launch into a front handspring.

"And you obviously don't know him very well either," Artemis spat back.

The two of them were about to launch themselves at each other once again when a column of fire suddenly erupted between them.

"What part of do not engage unless necessary was confusing to you?" Blaze demanded as she touched down near Artemis, her fiery wings winking out as soon as her feet brushed the ground.

"The part where their stupid telepath froze Impulse and made it necessary to fight back," Artemis snarled. "Where the hell were you guys anyway. Isn't it your job to make sure our 'asses don't get handed to us'?" she sneered.

"The other members of their little club caught us off guard as well," Blaze admitted after a brief pause. "Fox and Belle are leading them here as we speak."

Almost on cue, Belle seemed to materialize out of the shadows to Artemis' left. "Fox is right behind me," she said. "Their water user is coming, you may want to be careful Blaze."

"He's Atlantian," Blaze answered. "I am more of a threat to him than he is to me."

"Just don't say I didn't warn you," Belle replied with a shrug.

Suddenly a loud laugh floated through the air and the three girls turned in time to see Fox dashing towards the Martian, Aqualad and Superboy right on her heels. "No, no, no," she taunted the green girl as she used her momentum to knock her to the side before locking on arm around her throat and pressing a gun to her temple. She turned to face the two boys from the other team, a grin on her face. "Don't you know that it's not the good guys that take hostages? That's strictly our job."

Artemis allowed herself a brief smile when she felt a slight gust of wind and the press of Impulse's hand on her back for a quick moment. "You all right?" he asked.

"Never better," she replied.

"Good, then I can downgrade from tearing the little troll apart to severely wounding him then," Impulse said before another gust of wind signaled that he had gone.

"You should keep that boy of yours on a leash," Belle sighed. "We really only came to get you and get out of here."

"If you can find a leash he won't just vibrate through, be my guest," Artemis quipped back, startled for a moment when Belle offered a smile.

"Valid point," the other girl replied with a rueful shake of her head. "I honestly don't know how you do it."

"Years of practice," Artemis answered. An enraged shout suddenly had both of them turning to see Superboy rushing Fox as Aqualad headed right for them. "You cover Blaze," the blonde said as she quickly scooped up her bow and made her way towards the enraged Kryptonian. "I'll cover Fox and get her out of here."

"Got it," Belle replied, eyes already tracking the movement of the Atlantian. "We may want to think about ending this quickly; we are on a time table."

Artemis only grumbled out a reply that sounded vaguely like "of course we do!" mixed with a few choice swears and curses aimed at their bosses. She knocked an arrow quickly and sent the projectile flying. The tip hit the dark haired, blue eyed boy dead center of his chest, though he brushed the hit aside; at least until a sticky good began to spread almost violently across his chest, down his arms and over his legs. "I came prepared," she taunted when furious blue eyes turned to her. "Oh, I know you'll get out eventually, but for now you're stuck and that's all that matters. You okay?" she added turning to Fox.

"Peachy," the other girl replied, though a smile tugged her lips. "Thanks for the assist."

"You got Impulse free," Artemis returned with a shrug. "Figured I could return the favor. You might want to knock out the telepath though," she added, gesturing to the green skinned girl with one of Fox's guns still pressed to her temple. "She's crap at hand-to-hand but if she gets in your head there could be some big problems."

Fox nodded once, pulled the gun away slightly, flipped it in her grip and brought the butt crashing heavily down on the other girl's head. "That should take care of that," she laughed. She only stuck out her tongue when Superboy howled again. "Face it, we're just better than you," she smirked, throwing an arm over Artemis' shoulders. "Nice work with the goop, by the way. We make a pretty good team. Wanna ditch the speeder and tag in with me instead?"

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Not gonna happen," she replied flatly.

"Didn't think so," Fox laughed back. "Can't blame a girl for trying though. So, how about rounding up the others and blowing this place?"

Artemis only nodded and turned to head back to Blaze and Belle.

Despite Aqualad's training and his ability in melee combat, it's not a lot of use when he's fighting two on one and both of his opponents can used ranged attacks. It didn't exactly help that one of them was constantly throwing fire around and keeping him trapped in and almost oppressive heat.

Blaze and Belle, on the other hand, were having an easy go of the entire fight and were honestly a little bored. Blaze kept a curtain of fire around them, practically roasting the Atlantian, while Belle darted around slinging coalesced shadow energy to keep him off guard. By the time Fox and Artemis showed up they pretty much had the dark skinned boy flat out and beaten.

"We got this," Belle said as she slid from the shadows to stand next to the other two.

"So we see," Fox said admiringly. "Way to exploit weaknesses."

"That's why we were assigned," Belle answered with a quick grin. "If we're going to take the baby heroes down you might as well do it effectively." All four girls turned vicious smirks to the Atlantian when they finally heard the tell-tale thud of his body collapsing to the ground.

"Well, that's three down," Blaze commented as she let the flames die down. "Now we just need to collect your speedster and we can get out of here."

Impulse was having a hard time of it, comparatively speaking. Yes, he was still much faster than the Boy Wonder, but the little bugger seemed to have gotten trained to deal with people like him. He let out another snarl as his fist didn't make a completely solid hit once again. Acting on his rage, he snapped out a kick to the younger boy's stomach that sent him flying.

Robin surged to his feet as quickly as he could, dropping down into a ready stance. "Come on man," he tried. "What happened? I thought we were friends."

Impulse let out a humorless laugh. "Guess you're not as smart as I gave you credit for."

"But..." the younger boy began before Impulse dashed in and he had to throw up a hasty block to stop the incoming punch. He hadn't been expecting the force behind it though, and he went flying, finally skidding to a halt along the ground a few feet away.

"I would stay down if I were you," Impulse growled down at the younger teen. "If you get back up I will beat you back down until you stop moving." With one last snarl, the red head stalked away to catch up to the four girls.

"Well, if we're done here, I think now would be an excellent time to slip away," Fox said brightly when Impulse stepped over to them.

Impulse didn't say a word as he knelt back down and waited for Artemis to climb on. They made sure the rest of the team had a way back to the hanger and then quickly zipped away.

By the time all five of them made it back to the plane, they were exhausted and collapsed bonelessly onto the seats.

"Not bad for a night's work," Fox said.

"Maybe the two of you aren't so bad," Blaze added. "You definitely pulled your weight."

"I suppose you weren't all that bad either," Artemis admitted after a moment. "You did save our butts back there."

"Just doing our job," Belle replied.

"We still don't know if we can trust you," Impulse said after a brief pause. "But if we have to, I suppose we can work with you."

"No offense, but hopefully you won't have to," Fox said. "We generally have our own jobs with the Shadows that don't involve teamwork. This mission just happened to be important enough to make sure it got done."

All conversation cut off as Cheshire slipped back into the plane. She was slightly worse for the wear, a few new tears in her clothes flashed bits of reddened skin beneath. "Well, don't stop talking on my account," she teased before letting out a soft sigh. "I think it's time to get home though; you all look like shit."

No one said anything about the older assassin's appearance; which, Cheshire reflected was probably smart of them. Who said teenagers had no sense of self-preservation these days?

INTERRUPTING AN IS INTERRUPTING: So I was just going to leave this chapter there; I mean it's already pretty long. But a while back I had someone point out that you can't have Chesh. and not Red and I happen to agree wholeheartedly. So, consider this a little extra, a bonus if you will, for being so patient with me during my long hiatus. Here's what Cheshire was up to while our duo (plus three more) were doing their thing. Also, I'm taking the liberty to have a relationship-type-thing-ish already established between Red and Cheshire. They pretty much did it in the show so I figure I'm allowed to take the same creative license on that ;)

Cheshire didn't stick around to see if the new team would work with her baby sister, or even find out what she thought about having to work with a new team. She had a job to do and she was damn well going to do it; she'd just have to wait and see if Artemis came back out of her mission in one piece as well. She supposed she had the easier job of it; she only had to kidnap a scientist from his own home (or, failing that, bring back his notes, journals, laptop, anything that might be useful). Getting in had been easy; there were very few security systems that could keep her out if she really wanted in. She had made her way to his lab first, picking up notes and copying hard drives, before going after the man himself. That's when it all got shot to Hell though. Really, she should have been expecting him; it's almost insulting he hadn't shown up earlier.

"Well Red, took you long enough," Cheshire grinned beneath her mask. "I really expected you here a lot sooner you know," she added, pressing her sai just the slightest bit harder against the captive scientist's throat.

"Just let him go Cheshire," Red Arrow demanded, a frown tugging at his lips as he sighted down the arrow at the dark haired assassin.

"Aw, Red, I thought you knew me better than that," Cheshire teased. "Just cause you ask nicely doesn't mean I'm going to do it."

Red Arrow let the arrow fly, knowing full well that she'd dodge. He used the opportunity to get in close to the scientist, cut him loose and yank him roughly to his feet. "Get out of here," he barked. "Find someplace to hide and don't come out until morning."

"Why Red, if you wanted some alone time, you could have just said," Cheshire smirked as she turned to face him. "I'm never opposed to that."

"Why are you here Jade," Red Arrow asked once he was sure they were alone.

"For the same reason you are Roy. I've got a job to do," Jade answered.

"You can stop this you know," Roy replied, lowering his bow and sliding the arrow back into his quiver. "You don't have to do this."

"Oh, on the contrary," Jade smiled, pulling the mask away from her face. "All of this is just too much fun to give up. Besides," she added, her eyes flashing almost black and her tone darkening. "I can't leave Artemis and Wally alone in this. Someone has to watch them from this side, make sure they don't hurt themselves. Your little club dropped the ball and pushed them into this. I never wanted them in this mess, but now that they're here I'm going to make sure they stay alive. I can't do that if I'm running around on rooftops with you."

"I'm sorry," Roy said after a moment of silence.

"I don't blame you," Jade returned with a wave of her hand. "It's not like you could have done anything anyway. The damage came from the sidekicks and the people that decided to lie to them."

"I'll keep an eye on them from my end, make sure they don't get in over their heads," Roy insisted.

"Now why would you do something like that?" Jade asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Because they're important to you so they're important to me," Roy returned instantly. "And deep down they're good kids and don't deserve the cards they were dealt."

"I'm holding you to that then," Jade replied solemnly as she stepped up closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled challengingly before she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. She smiled slightly when she felt his arms slide around her waist and pull her closer even as he returned the kiss with equal fervor. "Now," she began after she finally pulled away; the teasing grin back in place as she settled the mask over face. "Let's get down to the gritty business of beating each other up without doing too much damage. Try not to enjoy this too much Red."

"You're the one we need to worry about getting too excited Cheshire," Red Arrow taunted back. He quickly adjusted the strap of his quiver and settled his bow comfortably across his back before he dropped low and stood ready. Even if she wouldn't seriously injure him, she could (and generally would) still pack a mean punch.

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><p><strong>AN2<strong>: So, there's chapter eighteen. Again, I'm really sorry I left you all waiting so long. Life kinda shoved me in at the deep end but forgot to teach me to swim first. It looks like things are finally settling now; or at the very least I'm managing to keep myself floating instead of sinking. Also, as promised in the AN at the beginning, I have credits to hand out to the amazing people that provided OCs for this (I hope I did them justice guys and kept them at least close to your vision of them). Thank you to all of you that did provide OCs and don't worry if you don't see yours here; I couldn't use all of them in this chapter but that doesn't mean I don't have a place for them! (Maybe... Honestly, the characters write the story and I just happen to be the outlet for it to get on paper, lol). Anyways, as I said, time to give credit where credit is due :)

Blaze-Courtesy of Justin the Constant Reviewer (I didn't see a name so I hope it was okay that I gave her one)

Belle-Courtesy of SunnyBunnylove77

Fox-Courtesy of Dark Goddess of Shadows

Thanks again guys and I hope I did okay with your characters! Also, to everyone, please review (if you've got the time of course). I was blown away by the number of people still reading, favoriting, reviewing and even PMing me to stop being lazy and start writing. Believe it or not, your support and reviews help :)


	19. Chapter 19

**AN**: Okay, I've got a couple of important things to say here:

1) Believe it or not, we're actually coming up on the end of this story; maybe two or three chapters after this one. HOWEVER I do have another project planned in this universe called Side Stories and Odd Jobs. It will be "powered" by YOU. It will be a collection of one-shots based on things you guys want to know more about (and/or things I had to cut for plot purposes but wanted to tell anyway). I'll announce this again towards the end of this story, but anyone that wants to know more about something from this universe PM me your idea once I announce that I'm taking ideas. Once the story actually gets up you can put ideas in the reviews.

2) This is pretty minor, but I don't know if FF spams your inboxes or not so just a heads up, I went back and fixed a couple things in a couple chapters; nothing that messes with the plot though. Also, a huge thank you to a reviewer who pointed out my use of Sweden instead of Switzerland in the last chapter. That has also been fixed. (See, this is probably why I shouldn't write at work, but I'm going to do it anyways so I'll just have to be more careful from now on, lol).

As always, thank you to the lovely, wonderful, amazing people that favorited, alerted and reviewed; you guys rock :)

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Young Justice Wally would definitely have more air time (I maintain he should come back; Artemis has so why not him too? I don't believe for a second he'd let her go back alone).

**Warning-type-thing**: I'm taking a break from Wally and Artemis at the beginning of this chapter. We're going to check back in with the Team and some other members of the JL cause even though they aren't the main focus of this story, they are still important characters and I kind of feel that I've been a bit unfair to them lately, lol.

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><p>To say they were frustrated would be an understatement; to say they were pouting would earn you dark glares and the silent treatment for at least three days. Which was honestly kind of unnerving from the normally even tempered Martian girl; no one really expected her to be able to pull off dark and brooding, bat apparently her boyfriend had taught her well. It had been almost two months since the archer and the speedster had left the team and despite their best efforts, the Team still hadn't been able to bring them back. The duo seemed to always be one step ahead of them, especially lately, and neither of them were willing to listen to anything any of them had to say.<p>

"This is ridiculous," Dick grumbled as he collapsed on the overly large couch at the Mount. He hadn't bothered to take of his uniform, though his domino mask hung limply from his fingers. The Team had been out on yet another mission and were finally dragging themselves back to base in the early dawn of the next morning. "We can go toe-to-toe with Bane and his pet Blockbuster monster and put them back into prison, but give us Wally and Artemis and we can't manage to even catch them."

"Well, Wally does have super speed," M'Gann pointed out. "None of us are able to keep up with him when he runs."

"I think he meant we always seem to be getting to them too late to do any good," Kaldur said. "They always seem to be leaving by the time we find out where they are."

"Why don't we just track them down?" Conner demanded sullenly, arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. "They can't be invisible."

"Cause we've got other ops that Bats has us running," Dick sighed. "Between those, training and trying to get enough sleep to be able to function, we just don't have time to track them as well. Especially not when they're taking care to keep from getting caught."

"This is stupid, we've got to do something," Conner pressed, kicking out at the cave wall and glaring at the debris that fell.

"And what would you suggest we even say if we caught them?" Dick growled. "They don't want to listen to us, remember? They made it perfectly clear they hate us."

"I don't know, but we can't leave them to the shadows!" the cloned Kryptonian yelled.

"What else can we do?" the youngest on the team demanded as he leapt up from the couch. "They won't talk to us, we don't have the time to find them and they'd rather attack than listen. If they want to ruin their lives, let them! I don't care anymore."

Three pairs of eyes stared back at the young, dark haired boy, all wide and uncertain. "Dick?" M'Gann questioned softly as she took a tentative step towards him. "You don't really mean that, do you? They are our friends."

"Were our friends," Dick shot back. "Maybe it's time we all accepted that. The Wally and Artemis we knew are gone. Maybe they weren't even real in the first place." The young teenager didn't say another word as he stalked off towards his room. "I'd get some sleep if I were you; Bats said he's shipping us back out tomorrow morning."

The other three members of the team exchanged worried glances before watching Dick disappear down the darkened hallway.

"Perhaps he is right," Kaldur sighed after a moment. "We cannot react properly if we keep believing they will come back."

"But..." M'Gann began, biting her bottom lip. "We know them. We went to school with them, fought beside them."

"And we all miss them," Kaldur agreed solemnly. "But we can no longer turn a blind eye to what they are doing. They work for the Shadows and we cannot allow them to continue."

"So you're saying we just abandon them?" Conner demanded.

"No," Kaldur sighed. "I am saying it is time we remembered that they are the ones that abandoned us. They are not comrades that have been captured and left behind enemy lines. They are the enemy now."

No one said a word; just exchanged mournful glances before heading off to bed themselves. "I just wish we could help them," M'Gann whispered softly. "Or if not us that someone could reach them."

If there was one thing Barry Allen would ever admit it terrifying him, it would probably be this. He took a deep breath and once again raised a hand to knock on the dark wooden door. He never thought he'd end up in the slums of Gotham under these circumstances. It was true that he'd been trying to work up the nerve to get here for years, but he'd never imagined that he'd be forced to come before he felt truly ready. He hadn't had the time to work up even half of an acceptable apology. How did you even apologize for what he'd done in the first place? Barry sighed, took a moment to reflect on the irony that he could face down the end of the word with jokes and good humor but put him in front of this door and he seriously considered running as far and as fast as he possibly could. Before he could talk himself out of it, he raised a hand and tapped the wooden surface with his knuckles. For a moment, no one answered and he allowed himself to hope that maybe no one was home then he heard movement and the knob jiggled slightly before the door swung open. He found himself looking down at a Vietnamese woman in a wheelchair and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Um, I'm looking for Mary West," Barry finally managed to say. "Is she here?"

"Just a moment," the Vietnamese woman replied. "Mary," she called over her shoulder. "Someone is here to see you."

For the second time, Barry considered bolting but then the redheaded woman stepped around the corner and he knew he wouldn't be able to run far enough or fast enough to escape the glare on her face.

"You," she hissed at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I just want to talk," Barry answered, holding his hand up in front of him.

"I've got nothing to say to you," Mary retorted as she swung the door back with a vicious push.

"Not even if it's about your son?" Barry asked desperately.

The door was caught mid slam and yanked back open with a force that Barry reflected could have possibly put Superman to shame. Never let it be said that mothers were weak, especially when their children were concerned. "Get in here," Mary practically growled at him. "Quick, before I change my mind."

Barry slipped around the door and stepped into the small living room, glancing at the two couches for a moment before letting his gaze wander. The apartment wasn't all that large; in fact it was fairly small for four people to live in, but it looked relatively clean and well kept.

"Sit," Mary commanded and Barry wasted no time in dropping to one of the couches. He was shocked for a moment when both women sat across from him, matching glares on their faces. "Now what about my son?"

"Have you seen him lately?" Barry questioned after managing to push aside the unease he felt with both women staring him down.

"He is on a school trip with my daughter Artemis for the entire summer," the Vietnamese woman answered. "Do you have information to the contrary?"

"No, no," Barry quickly backtracked, realizing that the duo had not told their mothers about their nightly activities. "I just wasn't aware that's where he was. I've been trying to get a hold of him," he added lamely.

"Why?" Mary demanded.

"To talk to him," Barry answered. "I, uh, found out about his test scores, specifically in science and we wanted to offer him an internship in my labs. But he wouldn't talk to me when I tried."

"Good!" Mary snorted. "He's always had a sensible head on his shoulders."

"Look, Mary, I know things are tense between us, and I truly am sorry, but is it worth jeopardizing your son's future over?" Barry pleaded.

"Just because he doesn't work for you doesn't mean his life is over," Mary spat back. "I've seen his scores as well; he can go wherever he wants."

Barry took a moment and closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. This wasn't going how he wanted it to at all. Though, in retrospect, he probably shouldn't have expected anything less. "I'm sorry," he finally said, pushing every ounce of sincerity into his voice as he could. "I shouldn't have abandoned you to our parents. I thought I was helping you, but I didn't think about what would happen."

"Obviously not," Mary returned. After a moment she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You're my brother Barry; I thought you'd be there for me."

"I know," Barry replied softly. "I honestly thought I was protecting you when I told them. I thought I was doing what was best for you."

"That's it right there, you didn't trust me to make my own mistakes," Mary said, gesturing vaguely towards the blond headed man on the opposite couch. "And yes, I am willing to admit that running off with Wally's father was a mistake, but I can't think of it as a bad thing because I got my son out of it and I would not trade him for anything."

"He seems like a good kid," Barry answered. "What little I was able to talk to him anyway."

"He is," Mary replied, a slight smile on her face. "He's had to go through so much, and that's forced him to grow up faster than he should have to, but he's handled it well and I am so proud of him."

"I'm not expecting you to forgive me," Barry said quietly. "But I honestly do want to help him. He's my nephew and even though it may not seem like it, I do care about my family and that includes both of you. If he calls, can you please give him my number and let him know I just want to talk? He might be more willing if it comes from you."

"I'm not promising anything," Mary replied before she sighed and leaned forward to take the card Barry held out to her. "I'll let him know, but it's his decision whether or not to talk to you. I won't convince him one way or the other."

"Thank you, that's all I ask," Barry said, rising and turning towards the door. "I really am sorry, truly."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive you yet," Mary answered. "Maybe someday, maybe if you prove you really do want to help my son and it turns out to be good for him, but right now I'm still upset."

"I understand," Barry sighed. "Thank you sis, that's more than I expected to be honest."

Mary hummed noncommittally and waited for the blond man to exit before swinging the door shut once more. Barry started off down the dimly lit hallway and allowed a small smile to spread across his face. He couldn't change what he'd done all those years ago but he could at least try and make up for it. His smile fell when he thought back to the last time he had seen his nephew. The look in the boy's eyes had gone beyond simple anger. After spending a few months actually getting to know his nephew, the distrust he saw in his green eyes had pained him more than he'd be willing to admit. Wally was a smart kid with a bright future ahead of him and Barry had grown fond of his teenaged nephew. He had wanted to be there to see the boy achieve his dreams.

"Now I'll be lucky if he doesn't attack me on sight," Barry sighed as he exited the apartment complex and made his way to the closest zeta tube.

It was a particularly dark night as what little of the moon there was hid behind the thick clouds, though in this particular part of Gotham street lights and passing cars brought enough illumination to navigate through the clustered buildings. Shadows fell in ragged patches and if someone were to look close enough they would see another shadow flitting through the uneven darkness with a skill born of years of training. This extra shadow ran through alleyways and jumped across rooftops until it came to a stop in a long abandoned section of town. It stood outside a heavy metal door with a faded sigh warning all possible intruders that this substation was for employees only. The shadow didn't even blink at the sign, instead turning its attention to the brand new keypad built into the wall on the right of the door. He wasted no time pulling a cord from his glove and pulling up a wrist mounted holo-screen.

"I suppose I should be impressed you guys managed to follow me here," Robin said after he started running the program to hack the lock.

"Well, we lost you a couple of times and I had to use my telepathy to find you again," Miss Martian admitted.

"So what are you all doing here?" the Boy Wonder asked, keeping his eyes on his screen.

"Same as you, looking for answers," Superboy replied gruffly.

"And before you ask, we know you well enough to know you would try something like this," Aqualad added. "Do you think we will find them here?"

"Doubt it," Robin answered. "They haven't been in Gotham for a long time, I know that much. But this used to be their base so maybe something in here will give us a clue about where they might have gone." A single chime sounded softly, barely heard over the many sirens wailing in the night. "Got it," the young teen added, a melancholy half smile adorning his face. He pushed the door open and immediately started down the short, metal staircase that led to the doubly abandoned substation.

The other three members of the Team filed along right behind him and stopped at the base of the stairs, looking around aimlessly at the scattered scraps and wires that covered one long workbench and the banks of machines that were spaced along another one. The lights flickered on and glowed softly, a stark contrast to the almost harsh bareness of the sun station.

"They haven't been here for months," Robin said as he ran a finger along one of the tables and pulled it away to look at the layer of dust that coated his glove.

"And it does not look as if they have left much of use behind either," Aqualad added as he stepped a little further into the room.

The lights suddenly flickered on and off for a moment and the four teens spun around, quickly grouping back to back. Weapons were out and fists were ready to go after even the slightest movement.

"You know, it's rude to enter someone else's place without an invitation," a girl's voice rang lightly. The four teens whipped their heads over to see Artemis sitting among the wires on her work table, legs crossed and one arm bracing her against the surface as she seemed to inspect the nails on her other hand.

"I don't think we could have expected anything else," Wally answered, making the Team turn to see him sitting backwards in his own chair, arms crossed on top of the back and his head resting on his arms.

"Still, kind of silly for them to come here, don't you think?" Artemis asked. "They had to have known we were going to abandon this place."

"And that we wouldn't leave anything of value or anything for them to trace us," Wally agreed.

"You're obviously not that far away if you came back that quickly," Robin commented, his grip easing on his staff slightly despite himself.

It was silent for a moment and Artemis and Wally appeared to not have heard the younger teen, or at least decided to ignore him.

"Does your silence mean you're willing to listen to reason?" Aqualad asked at last.

"I wonder how long it will take them," Artemis said, sending a smirk over towards Wally. "Forever I'll bet."

"Who knows," Wally shrugged, grinning back. "Think we should be recording it?"

Robin walked over to Wally while the duo was laughing and jabbed his staff right for the older boy's forehead. He heard M'Gann gasp when the metal went right through the boy's head and his image immediately grew distorted. "It's a hologram," he said. "Neither of them is really here." He looked up and spotted small devices fixed to the ceiling almost directly overhead of where the two teens were sitting. "There are the projectors," he added, pointing up. "My guess is that they rigged this to happen if the door lock was hacked. Clever."

"Is there any reason to be here then?" Superboy demanded. "You've said nothing's left to look through and that they've been gone for a while."

"No," Robin answered after a brief pause. "I guess not." He sighed loudly and shook his head. "I was hoping..."

"We all were," Aqualad said quietly as he placed a gentle hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. "But it seems that if they left anything for us, they left it somewhere else."

"I shouldn't have bothered," Robin replied sullenly. "I just wanted to find something, something to tell me that maybe I wasn't wrong to trust them."

The four teens didn't say anything as the trudged back up the stairs and made their way to the zeta tube. All the joking, all the fun, seemed to have seeped out of them over the past two months and it didn't seem to want to come back either. Any attempt to be jovial failed fairly quickly, especially when they would go on a mission or see something that would remind them of the Gotham native duo. It's not that the four of them didn't know how to have fun before they had met the pair, but they had brought something more to the group, something that couldn't be replaced.

The electronic voice announced the arrival of all four of them into the dark, empty halls of the Mount and the teens stepped out as the light faded from the zeta tube. No one said anything as they trudged towards the den and the large couch. Robin flicked the light switch and once again all four of them froze. Painted on the opposite wall in tall, black letters was a note that hadn't been there when they'd left earlier that night.

_Pass this message along. You got off easy this time. Leave our mothers out of this. Consider yourselves warned_.

"It's fresh," Conner said as he sniffed the air. "I can still smell the wet paint."

"But they are long gone by now I'm sure," Kaldur commented. "They have left their message so there would be no reason to stay."

"That still leaves the question of how they even got in," M'Gann said softly. "They couldn't have used the zeta tubes; they've been removed."

"It's a breech we're going to have to look into in the morning," Dick sighed. He took one last look at the drying letters on the wall before he turned and set off for his own room.

Halfway across the country, a certain redhead held a little black device close to his ear, listening intently to the voice on the other end. A scowl marred his features as he paced back and forth between the wall and the bed of his motel room. "I'm still not talking to him," he all but growled into the cell phone. "No mom, I don't care." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, okay. Yeah, we're having a great trip. Not much really, just having some fun, touring the sights and all that. Yeah, I love you too. Sure," he paused and looked over to the blonde sitting on the bed. "Artemis, you're up."

Artemis stood up and took the phone from Wally, taking a deep breath before answering. "Hi mom," she said, forcing cheer into her voice. "Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. Oh, you know, just hanging with the usual gang. I know, sorry. I'll make sure to bring home lots of pictures to make up for it. Yeah, I've been doing my best to keep him out of trouble," she added, shooting a smirk to the boy stretched out on the bed. "Love you too mom. See you soon."

The archer clicked the phone off and sighed as she placed it on the bedside table. "I hate lying to them," she said, climbing onto the bed herself and fitting herself into Wally's side. She rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled deeper into him when he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"I know," he whispered back, threading a hand through her hair and gently kissing the top of her head. "But the less they actually know the better. Hopefully the League will leave them alone now," he added as another scowl crossed his features.

"They'd better," Artemis hissed before a shrill ring filled the air. "I thought we were supposed to have the night off," she grumbled as she rolled out of Wally's arms and snatched the phone off the table. "What?"

Wally watched as Artemis glared at the opposite wall and scribble down a few notes before clicking off the phone with a wordless snarl. "Are we being summoned?" he asked.

"Unfortunately," the blonde answered with a sigh. "We're to make our way to Miami, go to this marina," she added as she tossed the paper at his chest, "and then wait for further instructions."

"How long do we have to get there?" Wally asked with a sigh of his own as he sat up. "And do we need to pack for extended stays anywhere else?"

"Five hours and supposedly not," Artemis huffed back. "It's just get there, get instructions, do whatever and then come right back."

"All right then," Wally said as he rose from the bed and stuffed his suit into a backpack.

"You're taking this rather well," Artemis replied, eyebrow raised.

"Hey, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back and sleep," he added, shooting a grin towards his girlfriend.

"It's a pretty safe bet that food and sleep are the only things on your mind," Artemis laughed as she stuffed supplies into her own backpack as well.

"And you, Beautiful," Wally said as he slipped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed a kiss to the junction between her neck and her shoulder. "You're always on my mind," he whispered into her skin.

"Down boy," Artemis chuckled, twisting and dancing out of Wally's grip. "We've only got five hours to get there."

"I only need four tops," the speedster smirked back.

"Really? Prove it," Artemis challenged. Before she could even blink she found herself relieved of her own backpack and swept up into the redhead's arms.

"Hold on tight," Wally grinned before he leaned in and pressed another kiss to Artemis' forehead. "And just remember, you asked for it."

The blonde had enough time to wrap her arms securely around her boyfriend's neck and bury her face in his shoulder before she felt that increasingly familiar lurching sensation and then the rush of air flying by. They had only stopped once halfway through the trip and Artemis took both packs before climbing onto the speedster's back.

"Four hours exactly," Wally said proudly after coming to a stop and letting the blonde down. "And that's only cause we had that one stop halfway through."

"All right, I stand corrected," Artemis laughed, handing the redhead his own backpack. "I'll never doubt your speed again."

A series of three beeps interrupted any retort and the blonde dug the little electronic device out of her pocket. "Time to go to work," she said as she pulled up the text message. "Pier thirty-seven. We're to get into the boat there."

"Suit up first?" Wally asked.

"Probably a good idea," Artemis answered before she ducked behind a shed and changed as quickly as possible. She stepped back out to find Impulse already dressed and waiting for her.

"Want a lift?" he asked her, holding his arms out towards her.

"Nah, I don't mind walking," Artemis replied. "Besides, you're just going to have to run us back after all of this anyway."

Impulse shrugged and adjusted the strap of his pack over his shoulder as the two of them walked off in companionable silence. They wound their way through the maze of docked boats until they came to dock thirty-seven and saw a small motor boat already waiting for them.

"Why am I not surprised to see you?" Artemis asked as she climbed in and took a seat. "I'm assuming at this point you've been assigned as our handler."

"Always a pleasure to see you too, baby sister," Cheshire taunted.

"So what are we doing here?" Impulse added.

"Patience," the older girl sing-songed back. "I realize it's a bit of a foreign concept to you, but it never hurt anyone to learn something new."

The older assassin started up the boat and backed it out of the dock before speeding out of the marina and into open water. No one said anything as the little boat bumped and sped over the choppy waves and dark, deep water. Before long a dark spot began to grow closer on the horizon and a small island resolved itself out of the darkness. From the side they were approaching all they could see was a high, rocky cliff and the mere suggestion of trees a good seventy feet above them. Craggy rocks jutted out over the sea and white capped waves splashed harshly against their surface and yet Cheshire continued right on towards the stone wall at her break-neck speed. As the dark cliff grew closer she finally pressed a button on the boat's consul and a loud grinding noise of stone on stone filled the air over the sound of the motor and the sea. Two sections of the cliff-face pulled back to reveal a long, dark passage. As the boat pulled into the tunnel, Cheshire turned on a headlight; just in time as the stone doors grated back to close them in. They traveled a few minutes through the tunnel before a light appeared and they pulled into a small, underground cove. A single dock had been constructed with crude, wooden stairs leading upwards out from beneath the ground.

Impulse leapt out as soon as they were close enough and helped tie up the small craft to the pier. Artemis jumped out right behind them and both of them stood aside, waiting for Cheshire to lead the way.

The older girl gestured for them to follow and lightly ascended the staircase, the two teenagers right behind her. They came out on a narrow path that twisted and turned through a dense grove of trees. The sounds of waves crashing against the cliff and the chirps of crickets were the only noises as they worked their way down the path and into another cave. The walls and floor had been worn smooth with constant use and bright light flooded the area ahead of them.

"Didn't we blow up a place like this a few months back?" Impulse asked as they stepped out into a large cavern.

"You might want to refrain from mentioning that while you're here," Cheshire warned him. "A lot of the people here were in the same island you blew up and they weren't all that happy about losing all that research."

"It was nothing personal," Impulse shrugged. "A job's a job."

"So what are we even doing here anyway?" Artemis asked as she looked around. She made a mental note of all the visible exits and the best paths through the rows and rows of work tables and equipment. Impulse probably had a better idea of what it all did, but a lot of it looked like larger versions of machines he had in their own lab. She frowned when she saw that odd green rock Impulse had retrieved hooked up to yet another machine. It was encased in a long glass tube that had a slightly grey hue to it. As she stared she saw a scientist walk up, a beaker of liquid in his hand. He pressed a button to the side of the glass, making the machine click and whir as the barrier was lowered. He quickly slid the beaker in next to the rock and pressed the button to bring the glass back up. "What's all that about?" she added, pointing to the machine.

"Patience baby sister," Cheshire grinned. "You'll get clued in soon enough."

They travelled further back into the cavern and into a small office already seemingly packed with a desk, a couple of chairs and a large metal filing cabinet. A small man with thick glasses and wiry dark hair sat at the desk, nervously fiddling with his white lab coat. His face was drawn and pale, the kind that was caused by a lifetime spent inside. Sportsmaster leaned against the desk, smirking down at the man. He glanced up when the door opened and nodded in the trio's direction.

"Nice of you to finally join us," he sneered as they closed the door behind them. "Took you long enough."

"I wasn't in any particular hurry to spend any amount of time with you," Impulse returned with a shrug of his shoulders. "Though next time I'll be sure to move a little slower, just for you."

"Still impudent I see," Sportsmaster barked.

Impulse only smirked at the older male and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Artemis rolled her eyes, but shot the redhead a brief grin anyway.

"So, does anyone want to tell me why we're here now?" she demanded.

"We figured it was about time to let you in on what we're really doing here," Sportsmaster answered immediately as he stepped away from the desk. "Follow me."

All five of them quickly filed out of the room, the small scientist in the lead. "How much do you already know of the operation?" he asked the teenage pair.

"Not much," Impulse replied. "We know teens go missing and then turn up again powered up and acting like zombies."

"That's a crude way of putting it, but that is essentially what happens," the scientist responded. "We use a compound we've created to activate latent abilities in our subjects. Tests and trials we did in the past demonstrated that adolescent youth were best suited to its use, though there have still been many failures. We've posited that at least half have been because there have been no latent abilities to awaken, however we're sure that the unstable nature of the compound accounts for the other half. Though we seem to have solved that problem by using radiation from that rather unique stone you brought back to us," he added, gesturing to the glowing rock. "It makes the compound much more effective and much more likely to produce results."

"What is it?" Impulse asked, stepping closer to get a better look.

"We're not entirely sure, though we are positive that it is not anything found on this earth," the scientist answered. "Now, this 'zombie' state, as you put it earlier, is due to a mixture we created using the poison Ivy uses to keep men under her control. You can imagine what would happen if we gave a bunch of teenagers super powers and no way to control them," he laughed.

"So that explains the what, but not the why," Artemis said. "It seems to me like you drew a lot of attention nabbing these kids off the streets and then sending a bunch of suddenly super powered teens after League members."

"That's cause you can't see the bigger picture, baby girl," Sportsmaster replied as he led them down another hallway. "The Justice League has decided they get to run the show for far too long," he spat. "They've people complacent, stagnant. It's time to remind humanity that we are masters of our own lives and not at the whims of people we laud as heroes."

"And the fact that the Shadows need war and conflict to continue working has nothing to do with it," Impulse replied, dead-panned.

"I just do what I'm told kid," Sportsmaster answered with a shrug.

"So how does your soldiers basically using up their life-force factor into that?" Impulse pressed. "You've got a war going against the League, cool, but how are you going to fight it when the people you've got fighting it are dying faster every time they fight?"

"That's why you're here actually," the scientist jumped in. "I was told you were the cause of your own powers and those of the archer," he added, gesturing between the two teens. "Your powers are stable and constant and, as far as we've been able to tell from observation, there are no ill side effects to your health."

"True," Impulse replied. "But the compound that gave us our abilities was pretty much a fluke. I had a basic structure, sure, but it would have only been temporary and it only enhanced senses. The explosion did something to change it and stabilize it."

"No matter," the scientist waved the concern aside. "I'm sure the answer can be found in your blood and DNA sequences. All I need is a blood sample and a cheek swab from the two of you and we can get to work on that."

"Reverse engineering based on the DNA mapping you can compile from our sequences," Impulse nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense, but it won't help you much if you don't have an original model of our unaltered DNA to compare it to."

"I doubt it's much different from that of a normal human," the scientist answered. "Obviously we'll have to make some guesses, but we have plenty of participants to test on so it's not a huge setback. Now, if you'll follow me, we'll get what we need and then the pair of you can resume your vacationing."

Impulse and Artemis glanced towards each other. The red head frowned, but jerked his head very slightly in the direction of the scientist. The blonde archer subtly shrugged and nodded once.

"Unless you've got a problem with this of course," Sportsmaster sneered.

"Lead the way," Artemis retorted with an easy shrug. "We've got nothing better to do."

It had been almost two weeks since the Team had discovered the message painted on their wall and everyone was still on alert. Security checks were being run almost constantly at the Mount and any access outside of zeta tubes had been blocked off or shut down. Every member of the Team was stressed and trying hard not to show it, but tempers were short regardless. That made for many shouting matches and broken furniture around the Mount, especially when throwing a volatile, teenaged, angry, cloned Kryptonian.

Red Arrow had spent even less time than usual around his younger companions. He liked them well enough, but he had his own issues to be dealing with without adding the angsty ranting of at least three other people into the mix. He knew Kaldur would keep a cool head, at least on the outside, but that didn't mean that would make dealing with the rest of them any easier. The older archer sighed as he slipped into the shadows of the rooftop he was stationed on. It had been an exceptionally slow night so far and that left him a lot of time to think. A sudden beeping in his ear had the older red head reaching up and tapping a little electronic device.

"Go," he barked. Static reigned for a few moments and he almost clicked it off before a series of numbers, coordinates he realized, were rattled off.

"You're up," the voice on the other end told him before silence fell around him once again.

"Shit," Red Arrow sighed as he got up from his crouch. "Time to go to work I guess."

* * *

><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Sorry about the delay again guys. I get really discouraged (I keep getting nothing but rejections for my original work) and it made me question if I'm really as good a writer as I thought I was. So I apologize, discouragement kinda got in the way. But I'm back and I promise this will get finished. Anyways, thanks for reading and don't forget to review!


	20. Chapter 20

**AN**: Okay, this is really, really IMPORTANT! So, after this latest round of rejections for my original work it's got me wondering if the story is even compelling enough. If I posted, say, the first three chapters as a "special chapter" in this would that be something you guys would be interested in? Would you be interested in reading it and telling me what you think? Please let me know in your reviews. Thank you!

Now, obligatory rant and possible SPOILER ALERT... HOW COULD THEY DO THAT! WHY WOULD THEY KILL WALLY? I am quite pissed about this and I maintain that he isn't really dead; he can't be : ( That's probably a vain hope, but it's all I've got at the moment, lol.

As always, a HUGE thank you to everyone who added this to their favorites, alerts and reviewed. You guys are awesome and you always make my day :)

Also, my deepest apologies for not getting this out quickly. I've been training people at my work and where I volunteer for about a month and a half now and that has left very little time for writing. Hopefully the training is done now though so back into the story we go! :D

**Disclaimer**: As always, I do not own the show or anything to do with it. I wouldn't have killed Wally if I did. Yes, I will remain bitter about that.

Also, we have our last OC cameo. Polaris comes courtesy of StarryeyedCassandra. Thank you! And I hope I did her justice :)

* * *

><p>The longer he was standing there on that stupid, lit up white circle the more he began to think this was a terrible idea. Red Arrow had contacted the Team and told them he might, kind of, sort of need their help on a mission he was running and while they had been excited about it at first it was quickly becoming more trouble than it was worth. Granted, at least half of that was from him since he refused to say anything until they were out of the Mount and he was sure there weren't any unnecessary prying eyes or ears. Still, did it really take the equivalent of World War III between some super powered, volatile and extremely dangerous teens and their overprotective mentors? Okay, in all fairness, when he thought about it that way it did make sense that they were a bit reluctant to let them out under only his supervision. He'd be the first one to admit that maybe he wasn't the most responsible person on the planet. Still, this was getting ridiculous and they needed to get moving before their very narrow window of opportunity snapped closed.<p>

"So are you going to actually trust them or are you just going to keep coddling them and stringing them along?" the red headed archer asked, knowing full well the tension his comment would cause. Hopefully it would also make the mentors realize that it wasn't a fight they wanted to get into at the moment. "Cause if you're not going to release them and let them do what they've been trained for then I'll just be on my way."

"And what is it that they will be doing on this mission of yours?" Black Canary asked for probably the fifteenth time. "You've been very vague on the details Roy."

"Nothing special really," Red Arrow shrugged. "Typical track and disrupt mission."

"You're last mission with them included you all breaking into a heavily guarded compound and stealing a jet," Green Arrow replied. "You can see why we're a little reluctant to send them off with you without knowing the details."

"We rescued a bunch of kidnapped kids and most of what happened was unexpected for me as well," Red Arrow retorted. "But like I said a few times already; this mission is sensitive and I've only gotten clearance to read them in if they accept it," he added, gesturing to the four teens. "Honestly, I was hoping to catch them when none of you were here so we wouldn't have to deal with this. They're big kids, they can make their own decisions, but obviously you don't feel the same."

"It's not that we don't trust them," Black Canary began, glancing hesitantly at her young charges.

"It's that you don't trust me," Red Arrow finished, nodding his head. "Noted. Well, if that's the case, it's been nice knowing you. I'll make sure to keep out of your way."

"Roy," Black Canary called as she reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "It's not that either and you know it. We're worried. About them, about you. With everything that's happened lately we just want to make sure you're all safe."

"Safe?" Red Arrow laughed. "You do remember what we all do on a relatively nightly basis, right?"

"We'll be fine," Robin added. "It's not like this is our first mission ever; we've been running plenty of them."

"And I know you mean well," Aqualad told the assembled mentors. "But keeping us here and not allowing us to participate in missions, especially when a friend comes asking for help, will not do us any good. We need to keep moving, we need to keep fighting. Staying stagnant only increases our frustration."

Black Canary frowned, her eyes tracking over the set and determined faces of the kids she had come to be "Den Mother" to before glancing over at her peers and sighing. "They make a valid point," she said at last. "We're really not doing them any favors by keeping them here."

"We don't know a lot about this mission," Green Arrow pointed out, sending Red Arrow an apologetic look. "Perhaps if more information was available," he added, trailing off.

"I've already told you more than I should have," the younger archer replied, folding his arms over his chest. "Besides, I know you've sent them out with less information to go off of and it's not like they're going to go in completely blind; I'll read them in as soon as we're off."

"I don't like it," Batman said after a moment, holding up a hand for silence when all four younger teens opened their mouths to protest. "But Red Arrow and Black Canary have a point. How long will this mission take?" he asked, looking at the red headed archer.

"They'll most likely be back by midafternoon, if not tomorrow night at the latest," Red Arrow answered with a shrug. "A lot of the ground work has already been done."

"I want a radio check in if this runs longer than expected," the Dark Knight told the young Team members. "Do not take unnecessary risks and follow the mission parameters as outlined."

"We got this," Robin interrupted, an easy grin spreading across his face. "You've trained us well and we've been doing extra drills the last few weeks; give us some credit here."

"Be careful, all of you," Black Canary told all of them as they headed for M'Gann's bioship. "I want to see all of you back here breathing and in one piece when you're done."

Robin just grinned and offered the assembled adults a mock salute as the bioship doors slid closed. "So, where are we going and what's up with the mission?" he asked as he settled himself into his usual seat.

Red Arrow pulled out a piece of paper and tossed it to Miss Martian. "That's where we're headed," he told the green girl. "As for mission specifics, I'll know more when we get there, but at the very least it'll be a tracking and retrieval mission."

"So you're keeping us out of the loop now too?" Superboy demanded as he turned his chair to face the oldest member of the group. His usual scowl deepened and his arms came up so settle firmly across his chest.

"Not on purpose," Red Arrow replied with a shake of his head. "Depending on what we find there," he said, motioning to the slip of paper in Miss Martian's hand, "the whole mission could change. I can definitely tell you it'll be a tracking, retrieval and disruption mission." He paused for a long moment, glancing at each of his younger friends one by one. "I also need you to keep an open mind on this one," he added. "Some of my sources aren't exactly League approved, but that doesn't mean we can't trust them."

The other four teens traded puzzled glances but nodded. "Of course my friend," Aqualad spoke for all of them as he inclined his head slightly. "Who are these contacts of yours that we will be meeting?"

"You'll see soon enough," Red Arrow sighed. "Just promise to trust me on this one, please." He offered a quick, small smile when all four teens nodded back at him and found himself fervently hoping that they'd remember that promise when they saw who they were meeting.

When they landed on a small island out in the Atlantic Ocean the first thing Red Arrow had the Team do was switch to stealth mode. The island was almost unnaturally silent and as the five of them stalked through the trees nothing else seemed to move. The thundering crash of waves sounded in the still air and the revolving lights of distant lighthouses burst through the trees periodically. All in all, it was relatively peaceful; which did absolutely nothing to put the four teens at ease about the situation. Robin moved on the balls of his feet, barely making a sound and Miss Martian kept drifting in and out of visibility. Both Aqualad and Superboy prowled through the gloom, the muscles in their backs tense as their eyes kept sweeping over every little thing they could see. Only Red Arrow seemed at ease as he walked along the narrow pathway, bow slung across his back and hands loose at his sides. Every once in a while he'd reach up and flick at the earbud in his ear and frown at whatever he heard, but he never said anything to the rest of the Team.

After almost twenty minutes of walking Red Arrow held up a hand for the other teens to stop before pressing a finger to his lips and motioning for radio silence. The four younger teens immediately spread out in a loose screen, melting into the darkness of the surrounding trees, but staying close enough to the red headed archer to react to any changes.

"You sure took your sweet time Red," Cheshire purred as she stepped out of the shifting shadows in front of said archer. "The party's already over here." She paused when the younger members of the Team burst out of the tree line and took of defensive stances around her. She placed one hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side slightly; Red Arrow had the distinct impression that the grin on her mask was matched by one sure to be spreading across her face. "Ah, I see. You brought the baby heroes. Trouble getting them away from the nest I take it?" she asked, completely ignoring the fact that four highly trained teenagers had her surrounded and were just looking for an excuse to take her down.

"Almost more trouble than it was worth," Red Arrow grumbled in reply. "Guys, stand down," he added almost as an afterthought.

Four heads swung around to face him, varying degrees of incredulity painted across their eyes. "You can't be serious!" Robin managed to speak first.

"You promised to keep an open mind," Red Arrow reminded him.

"Yeah, but this is asking a bit much!" the youngest shot back. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Robin has a point," Aqualad added, bringing his hands up and holding them facing palm out towards his red headed friend. "This is Cheshire; she has attacked us many times in the past."

"All part of the great game fish boy," the dark haired assassin laughed as she took a step closer. "But we don't have time for this. It's already been moved Red."

"What has?" Miss Martian asked, looking back and forth between Red Arrow and Cheshire. "What's been moved?" she pressed when neither seemed inclined to take their eyes from each other and answer. If the green skinned teen didn't know any better, she'd have thought they were having a telepathic conversation themselves.

"Dammit," Red Arrow hissed between clenched teeth as he carded a hand through his short hair. "Any idea where?"

"I was off playing baby sitter to another part of their grand master plan," Cheshire answered with a shake of her head. "I don't think any of us lowly foot soldiers know more than the small part we're supposed to play, to be honest."

"And?" Red Arrow pressed, the look in his eyes enough for Cheshire to know what he was asking.

"Nothing," she answered with a sigh of her own. "It's been radio silence for almost two weeks."

"Same with me," Red Arrow grumbled. "All right, I've got another contact we can try; she might be able to help. Where were you last?"

"Old warehouse down by the docks in New Orleans," Cheshire answered immediately. "I've got to get running Red, before I'm missed."

"Anything we should mess with while we're here?" he asked before the assassin disappeared back into the trees.

"No, nothing special," Cheshire answered. "Nothing that can't wait till it's just you and me at least," she answered and Red Arrow could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Be careful," he told her just before even her mask was gone from sight.

"You too," he heard whispered softly in his earbud before that channel fizzled out in a burst of static.

"Well, that was...whelming," Robin finally said into the quiet that had followed Cheshire's disappearance. "Care to fill us in there?"

"Not right now," Red Arrow answered, shaking his head as he turned back the way they had come. "We don't have time to just stand around," he added when the four teens remained where they were.

"And why is that exactly?" Superboy pressed. "You haven't given us a lot to go on and the fact that Cheshire is your informant is only giving us more questions than answers."

"Look, I'll explain Cheshire later, I promise," Red Arrow sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But we really don't have time for this right now. Just trust me when I say that this mission has gone from infiltrate and recover information to a possible hostage situation. People's lives could be on the line, now more than ever. If you're worried about walking into a trap then fine, I get that. You can get on the bioship, head back to the Mount and forget this entire thing."

"And what about you?" Miss Martian asked. "If this is a trap wouldn't you be in danger too?"

"It's not a trap, I'm just saying I understand why you would think it is," Red Arrow answered. "Can we at least talk while we walk?" he demanded. "Since it seems like you're not going to let up till you have some answers."

"How can you be so sure it is not a trap?" Aqualad asked, catching up to his friend and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Because it's Cheshire that told me," Red Arrow replied as he shook Aqualad's hand off. "Now are you all coming or not?"

The four teens glanced at each other for a moment before shrugging to themselves and following their older friend back to the bioship.

"So, New Orleans?" Miss Martian asked once they were all settled.

"No, we need to swing by Gotham first," Red Arrow sighed. "There's someone there I need to see."

"Are you planning on filling us in any time soon?" Robin pressed after a moment of silence stretched between them. "Cause I think we've been more than patient so far."

"All right, we've got some down time for travel anyway," Red Arrow sighed again. "Long story short, we've been working on finding out why the League of Shadows has been giving teenagers superpowers and stopping whatever plans they've got going. I got called in two weeks ago on this and I've been trying to play catch up ever since. Obviously, they found out that I'm tailing them and they've pulled out."

"What about the hostages you mentioned?" Superboy demanded, spinning in his chair to face the older teen.

"Super powered teenagers," Red Arrow answered. "I wouldn't put it past the Shadows to use them against us."

"You realize that we will have questions for you once this is all over," Aqualad interrupted after a moment. "But for now we will follow you on this. You are our friend and we trust you."

"So who are we looking for in Gotham?" Robin questioned, swinging around in his own chair.

"Someone who will most likely be able to help us," Red Arrow answered with his most tired sigh yet. "Assuming I can convince her to help at least."

The flight to Gotham as quick and almost silent. The Team didn't bother to ask who they were looking for again as Red Arrow seemed to be pretty tight lipped about it. By the time they arrived at the dark city they were all frustrated and annoyed with being kept in ignorance. It didn't help that Red Arrow seemed to just be wandering through the city aimlessly.

"Are we going to be doing anything soon?" Superboy growled as the five of them slipped down yet another dark alley. "Cause we didn't agree to this to take a walk through Gotham with you."

"Seems the baby heroes are an impatient lot," a voice called from the shadows with a thick Irish accent. A tall girl, dressed head to toe in black, stepped away from the wall and into the dim light. She wore knee high black boots over black jeans. A long black trench coat brushed the tops of her boots and covered the black vest she wore beneath, almost hiding the two swords strapped to her left hip. A black mask covered most of her face, leaving her nose and mouth free, and her hair spilled over the top in inky black waves. White lenses in the mask covered her eyes, but a disapproving frown settled on her lips as she regarded the group. "What are you doing on my side of town Arrow?" she asked, turning her frown to the oldest member of the group.

"I'm calling in that favor Polaris," Red Arrow answered. "We're trying to track something and it's disappeared."

"And where did this thing disappear from?" the girl, Polaris asked.

"New Orleans," Red Arrow replied with a sigh. "An old warehouse near the docks."

"You are aware I don't generally operate too far from Gotham, unless it serves my own purposes, correct?" Polaris frowned deeper.

"I know," Red Arrow agreed. "And believe me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't need your help with this."

"Uh, Red?" Robin interrupted after a moment. "You do know this is the Polaris, right? I'm not sure at this point which decision of yours was more of a mistake; trusting Cheshire or trusting Polaris. She's not exactly a friend of the League."

"And yet I've never really done anything to you either," Polaris spat back. "Except maybe be very good at what I do."

"And leaving a few bodies here and there," Robin reminded her.

"I never actively seek to kill anyone," Polaris dismissed with a wave of her hand. "If it happens I'm not going to cry about it though. Now, I don't like it, but I do owe you one favor Arrow," she added, ticking her finger up in the air to indicate it physically. "We're square after this, are we clear?"

"Crystal," Red Arrow answered with a nod of his head.

"Fine, how are we getting there?" Polaris asked.

"This way," Red Arrow said as he turned and began leading the group back to the bioship.

"So, how do you know her?" Robin pressed, catching up to the older teen quickly.

"She was in Star City a few months back looking for something. She ended up in the middle of an op I was running and I helped her get out," the red head replied.

"If I recall correctly, I helped you get out as well," Polaris said as she fell into stride next to the older archer.

"All right, it was a mutual ass saving mission," Red Arrow conceded. "Regardless, I got a favor out of it and I give her information on her search if I ever come across something that might help her."

"Does the League know you keep such company?" Aqualad asked hesitantly, offering the darkly dressed girl a brief conciliatory nod.

"You're an exclusive club, and I don't make the cut," Polaris dismissed. "No need to dance around it. I don't particularly care; I can go places and get information you people generally can't. Now let's keep the chit chat to a minimum so I can get this over with as painlessly as possible."

It didn't take long for the Team to get to New Orleans; Red Arrow half suspected Miss Martian was gunning the bioship as fast as she could get it to go. Halfway through the flight Cheshire had texted him the exact address and Red Arrow was now in the process of getting the green alien girl to land the ship a few warehouses down from the one they wanted.

"Keep it cloaked," he reminded the younger girl as all six of them dropped to the concrete below.

"Handy, I'll give you that," Polaris observed for a moment as the red ship disappeared back into the background. "Now, where am I going and what am I looking for?"

"This way," Red Arrow pointed. "You four establish a perimeter around the building," he added to the younger teens. "Stick to the shadows, but be ready to come if we call. If you see anything suspicious, radio it in," he said with a brief tap to his ear before he and Polaris slipped away further down the docks.

"Ever get the feeling he's keeping something from us?" Robin asked the rest of the group.

"It's almost like he doesn't want us to know what we're tracking," Superboy added.

"I tried to read him," Miss Martian admitted guiltily. "But he's mind is locked down tighter than anyone I've ever seen in a human. I couldn't get any information without alerting him to my presence in his mind."

"I hate to say it, but we could be walking into a trap," Aqualad sighed. "I do not wish to doubt our friend, but very little of this mission has felt right from the beginning."

"Miss M, set up a psychic link," Robin said. "If anything happens, or if anyone sees anything suspicious, tell the rest of the team before radioing it in. Keep your eyes open guys," he added as he slipped into the shadows and disappeared into the night.

For the first hour or so, nothing but the group of teenagers seemed to be moving in the darkness around them. The four younger members watched as Red Arrow and Polaris occasionally stepped out of the warehouse, the latter looking around in all directions as though she was looking for something. Neither of them answered when the rest of the team tried to ask what was going on and eventually the four of them fell to just watching as the two older teens moved around. It was probably that laid back attitude that left them almost unprepared when gunshots rang out through the warehouse.

All four teens jumped to attention and ran full tilt into the dark building. Without stopping to think they threw themselves into the fray. Somehow Shadows grunts had managed to sneak into the building and all but lay siege to the two people that had been inside.

"Thanks for the warning," Polaris growled as she snapped out with a high kick aimed at the nearest man, followed closely with a swing from one of her swords that dropped her attacker to the ground.

"What happened to keeping watch?" Red Arrow pressed as he swung the heavy metal of his bow into the side of another grunt's head.

"We were keeping watch," Superboy replied as he picked up two attackers and tossed them bodily into the nearest wall. "There must have been a back way in we didn't know about."

"No time for talk guys," Robin interrupted as he leapt over another man dressed all in black, using his shoulders as leverage to dodge a punch and shove him forward. He laughed as he ducked a kick and lashed out with one of his own, sending the guy crumpling to the floor.

"I would still like to know where they came from," Aqualad pointed out, using his water bearers as clubs to send people flying and sprawling out along the concrete ground. "We saw no one."

"Would you like me to hold one of them for questioning?" Miss Martian asked, already holding three people dangling in the air in her mental grip.

"Probably a good idea," Red Arrow grunted in response, taking a hit to the stomach and lashing out right back, catching the man in his side. He felt the familiar snap of the ribs giving way to his kick and dismissed his attacker as he collapsed to the floor, wheezing wetly and clutching at his side.

"You're too soft," Polaris snarled as her palm slammed home into her opponent's nose, the flesh and cartilage easily giving way. "They won't tell us anything, just drop them all. You won't need them anyway," she added as she ducked and threw the attacker behind her right over her shoulder, slamming her fist into his throat after he had hit the floor.

Despite being caught by surprise, it didn't take long for the group of six to disable and knock out their assailants, at least twenty in all. Miss Martian had managed to keep one of them conscious and immobile and the team quickly set about interrogating her.

"Who sent you?" Red Arrow asked, crouching down to face the frozen Shadow member.

"Suck it asshole," the girl spat back, her lips pulled back in a silent snarl.

"How did you get in?" the red headed archer pressed.

"Like I'm going to tell you," the girl sneered.

"Where was it all moved to?" the other boy continued placidly.

"Are you slow or something?" the girl barked. "I'm not telling you jack shit about anything!"

"I told you," Polaris commented as she walked back from wherever she had disappeared from, a piece of paper clutched in her hand. "If you find that truck you'll find what you're looking for," she added, shoving the paper at the red head. "I'd hope you're at least competent enough to handle that because I'd say my job is done."

Red Arrow accepted the paper, glancing down at it. A clear photo of the back of a large moving van filled the top half of the page; the license plate had been blown up on the bottom as well as two mug shots of the drivers. "We can use this, thanks."

"Whatever Arrow, we're square now," Polaris dismissed as she turned to walk away. "Next time you need to track something, please hesitate to call. Or at least be willing to shell out decent money."

The remaining five teens watched as she slipped away into the dark before turning back to their captive. "Knock her out," Red Arrow said as he passed the paper over to Robin. "And get a program running for facial rec on the drivers as well as the truck and the license plate."

"On it," the youngest member answered readily, already scanning the pictures into the holo computer mounted in his wrist glove.

"You're not going to find anything," the girl on the floor spat. "You'll be way too late."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Red Arrow answered before turning to the Martian girl. "Miss M, I'm serious, put her under."

The green girl nodded once, her eyes glowing green as she raised her arm. Almost immediately their captive slumped to the floor, out cold.

"Got it," Robin crowed just as their captive lost consciousness. "I've been able to track down where the drivers and the truck went."

"Where are they at?" Red Arrow demanded.

"Well, as of yesterday they were in Idaho," he answered around a frown pulling at his lips. "Like, middle of nowhere Idaho. I got the image of the truck off the one traffic light they've actually got there."

"Doesn't matter where it is, that's where we're going," the oldest boy answered. "This has turned into a search and recovery mission first and foremost."

"How do you know that?" Superboy pushed as they followed him back out to the bioship.

"Polaris," Red Arrow replied. "She...sees things differently. She hasn't trusted me with her whole past and I doubt she ever will, but I know something happened to her when she was younger. She mentioned some sort of serum, maybe an early version of what the Shadows are doing now, but whatever it was it gave her the ability to basically see the world as a puzzle waiting to be solved. She's probably the best detective in the world, no offense," he added with a look to Robin.

"None taken," the youngest boy shrugged. "You're a fool if you think you're the best at something, there's always someone better. So she was able to put together what happened here?"

"Well enough to narrow down which truck left with our quarry and read the signs of the fight that broke out before they even left," Red Arrow answered. "Though that was four days ago which means we need to get moving," he said through clenched teeth. The air around them grew heavy and tense, leaving the other four teens to follow after their older friend silently.

_Guards at the front have moved on their rounds_, Robin's voice said through the mental link.

_The guard in the back tower is moving on as well_, Aqualad's voice added.

_Good_, Red Arrow replied. _Strike team alpha is a go as soon as they get halfway. Beta team, move in now. Robin and I will follow you in through the roof_.

Once inside the six teens regrouped and took off down darkened halls, Red Arrow glancing into every room they passed. Finally, he stopped and placed a finger to his lips before easing the door open even more and slipping inside.

"Took you long enough," a voice groaned out from the darkness.

"Had to call in a favor to find you, these bastards hid their tracks well," Red Arrow answered as he flipped on a light and the room burst into a muted shade of yellow.

There, in the center of the room and sitting back to back on two chairs, were Impulse and Artemis. Their wrists were bound and their arms, just above their elbows, were tied together, effectively keeping them trapped together. Their feet had been tied to the chairs at their ankles and just below their knees. Dried, rusty colored blood decorated the front of Impulse's uniform and purplish bruises dotted every visible part of skin. Artemis looked to be in slightly better condition, though a thin trail of long dried blood sat at the corner of her mouth. Both teens watched, eyes narrowed and teeth slightly barred, as their former teammates filtered quickly into the room.

"We only called for you," Impulse spat, reaching down to until his legs after Red Arrow had cut his arms free. As soon as he could he was out of the chair and kneeling in front of Artemis, carefully checking her over and releasing her from her bonds as well.

"Yeah, well, Chesh couldn't make it and while I appreciate the fact you think I'm badass enough to break in and haul your sorry asses out, I'm just not that awesome," the oldest red head answered as he stepped back and placed his knife back into the pouch at the small of his back. "I needed some back up and they were the next best option."

"What about the team we worked with a few weeks back?" Artemis asked as she stood shakily on her feet. "What happened to them?"

"Gone to ground, as near as I can tell," Red Arrow replied as he shrugged, completely unconcerned. "As it was, I had to pull in my favor from Polaris to find you in the first place. I didn't have time to waste trying to hunt them down first. So what happened?"

"We were made, obviously," Impulse sneered as he slung one of Artemis' arms across his shoulders and took most of the blonde girl's weight on himself. "They broke Artemis' leg," he said in answer to the questioning look.

"Was it set?" the older archer asked, frown already pulling at his lips as he glanced down at the young girl's legs. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.

"No," Artemis hissed. "The bastards broke it then shot me up with some serum they've been working on in their spare time. It makes the body mend itself, but everything still hurts like a bitch for a while after. Besides, you should be more concerned with him," she added, jerking her head to her companion. "The idiot mouthed off until they took everything out on him and left me alone."

"I heal faster," the red head answered quickly. "And unlike that serum, it's a natural healing."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt," Artemis replied with a worried frown. "And they've barely been giving you anything to keep your energy up so you actually can heal yourself."

"Look, we get it, you're both nuts about each other and hate it when the other is hurt," Red Arrow interrupted. "But right now we've got to get you two out of here before someone comes looking."

Though they moved significantly slower because of their banged up, two new additions, the group of seven somehow managed to make it out of the compound unseen and slip back into the bioship. Impulse and Artemis were set up in the small med bay while the rest of the team got the ship in the air and flying back towards the Mount. After they were sure they had gotten away clean, Miss Martian put the ship on auto pilot and the entire group walked back into the med bay.

"So, anyone want to tell us what's really going on?" Superboy demanded gruffly. The other three members of the Team fanned out around him, staring down the three teens in med bay.

Impulse looked up once, a silent snarl on his lips, before he turned his attention back to splinting and wrapping Artemis' left leg. Both teens had pulled back their cowls and bandages decorated their faces; a particularly nasty gash on the red head's face had already been stitched shut.

"These two went undercover to flush out just what the Shadows were doing," Red Arrow answered for them from his spot leaning against the counter, watching the two younger teens carefully in case they needed help. "Things went south and we went in to get them out alive."

"So, you're still on our side?" Miss Martian asked hopefully, her hands clutched together in front of her and a small smile begin to spread on her face. "You're really still our friends and part of the team?"

"Hardly," Artemis snorted derisively, wincing slightly when Impulse jarred her leg in an attempt to tighten the brace and bandages around it. "We really left this stupid little club of yours."

"But, I don't understand," the alien girl replied, her hands falling limply to her sides as the smile fled her face.

"We don't expect you to," Impulse barked back as he stood, his job with Artemis' leg done.

"Hey man, regardless of whatever is going on here, we totally saved you today," Robin pointed out, stepping a little further into the room. "I think that owes us some answers."

Impulse glared the younger man down for a moment, his eyes a toxic, almost glowing green. "We owe you nothing," he seethed in response.

"Wally," Artemis said softly, laying a hand on his arm to pull his attention to her. "As much as I really, really hate to admit it, things have spiraled out of our control and we need some help. My sister and Red Arrow won't be enough. No offense," she added as an aside to the older boy.

"None taken," he replied with a simple shrug.

"I hate this," Impulse growled, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"So do I, but if we want them down we're going to have to swallow our pride and allow this, for now," she said, a meaningful glance sent towards the other teens.

"Will you allow us to know the truth?" Aqualad asked carefully, his hands raised palm out in a placating gesture.

"You're little group, or your babysitters for that matter, have no idea what you're doing," Impulse replied flatly. "You're running around trying to fix problems you know next to nothing about and ignoring obvious solutions because they don't fit in with your precious moral code."

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked, a frown on his face.

"You're winning some battles, but you're never going to win the war," the speedster answered.

"Stop talking in riddles," Superboy growled.

"Look, we're not with the Shadows and we never will be," Artemis sighed, a hint of annoyance coloring her voice. "But we're not cut out for your goody two-shoes act either; your moral code just isn't going to do anything in the long run. What Impulse meant is that the bad guys know that and they're going to exploit the hell out of it. Sure, you might have the minor players terrified; like the drug dealers, the small time thieves and the garden variety thug, running scared from their shadows, but the big guys? The ones that do the most damage? They see you as an amusing, completely beatable challenge. You lock them up but they keep getting out. You knock away some of their underlings, they just replace them with more. In the meantime they're busy permanently taking you down, one more dead hero at a time. You might be winning battles, but you're never going to win the war," she reiterated. "If you want to win, you've got to play at their level. You've got to make the big players jump at their shadows and look over their shoulders at every new sound. You've got to make them terrified. None of you will ever manage that if you cling to these rules you've set that the other side just laughs at."

"You've got to be willing to become the stuff of their nightmares," Impulse added. "You've got to be willing to let go and let loose; hell maybe even enjoy breaking a few bones or shattering a few lives," he added with a dark smirk that was mirrored almost immediately on Artemis' face.

"But that's not what heroes are," Miss Martian protested, her eyes glistening a bit with tears as she reached for the pair, almost as if she could pull them back from the darkness she thought was threatening to swallow them whole.

"Good thing we're not heroes then, isn't it?" Impulse replied, his smirk still in place. "We've long since embraced the darkness you need to fight this war."

"I guess you could call us anti-heroes," Artemis said, a harsh laugh bubbling out of her throat. "That's pretty much exactly who we are. We fight these assholes because we enjoying taking them down and watching them break, just like they enjoy breaking everything they touch."

"Speaking of taking these guys down," Red Arrow interrupted before any of the other teens could jump in and question Impulse or Artemis. "Did you manage to find out what they were up to?"

"Pretty easy really," Impulse answered flippantly. "Once they thought we were playing for their team anyway. Savage is pretty much running the show on this one. He's decided to try and force mankind into an evolution; it'll be adapt or die with him. The missing and powered up teens were just a way of running preliminary tests and getting an army pulled together to fight off the League and keep them busy chasing after their tails."

"He's planning on launching some sort of device into the atmosphere. Well, a series of devices really, but the one he launches from the US will trigger all the other ones worldwide," Artemis picked up. "It'll blanket the Earth in a layer of mist that's made of the same serum that altered the teenagers. The whole population will be breathing it in and it'll either be develop powers, use them up and die, or die immediately in a very painful way."

"I managed an antidote," Impulse said as he pulled a small vial from the pouch strapped to his leg. "Pretty easy really when they told us our DNA was the linchpin for making their serum work on the entire world's population. That's how they caught on to us though. Apparently the Shadows keep a very close watch on their lab spaces and they notice when things go missing."

"Do you know where they're going to launch this device?" Red Arrow pressed.

"Where else in the continental US would you go to launch something into space?" the other red headed male asked with a dark smirk. "Or at least really high up in the atmosphere?"

"You two feel up to going to Cape Canaveral and kicking some ass then?" the oldest boy asked.

"And when are we not?" Artemis returned, her eyes a stormy grey and an almost manic smile stealing its way across her face.

"How are you a part of this?" Aqualad asked quickly, looking at Red Arrow.

"Cheshire pulled me in mostly, didn't want anything to happen to her baby sister," the male archer replied. "But on some level, I sympathize with them and I agree with that they're doing."

"And how exactly do you know Cheshire?" Robin asked. "You said you'd explain later."

"He and my sister have this thing going," Artemis laughed, answering for the older boy. "Have for a while really. I'm a little surprised no one thought to question how he went after her almost religiously and yet never seemed to catch her."

"All right look, now isn't the time to be discussing my personal life," Red Arrow growled as he shoved his way past the teens standing at the door. "Miss Martian, get out here and change our route. Someone else get on the line to your mentors and fill them in. You two," he added, pointing between Impulse and Artemis. "Rest up and if you can, get a list of all the places these devices are set to launch. We don't want to take any chances with any of this so the more people we get spread out across the world the better."

"Yes sir," Impulse said, shit eating grin on his face as he gave the older boy a mock salute.

"You can run along now and see if you can get ahold of my sister now, like I know you want to," Artemis added, the smile on her face far too innocent to be believable.

"Whatever," Red Arrow grumbled as he turned away, completely ignoring the fact that he was going to go do just that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2<strong>: Well, there's chapter 20 guys! I'm so sorry I made you all wait so long. So, now for the somewhat bad-ish maybe news; the next chapter will be the last one for this story. Yep, you read that right, this story is coming to an end. On the upside though, Side Jobs and Other Stories is totally in the works. That's the one-shot/drabble series that will be powered by YOU. If there's anything you wanted to know more about in this Universe I created, anything you wanted explained a little more or just any random scene you would have liked to have seen, whatever. More on this will be posted in the next chapter. Well, don't forget to leave a review and also please let me know if you'd be willing to read the first three chapters of my original work. Thanks guys! Loves you all!


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